Awakening: Second Stage
by Lord Malachite
Summary: The Weekenders. Complete. New Third Stage Trailer revised as of Jan 3, 2004. See You Next Stage!
1. Complications

One Year Later………

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter One

Complications

  
Friday

"The way her fair falls behind her head as her gaze darts between the blackboard and her notebook. That look she gives me whenever I agree to help her act out a scene from a play. Those cute noises she makes when she laughs. Those times she calls me up right when I'm about to fall asleep. The foods I've endured for her! The foods she's endured for me! Those quiet times when she's sits quietly, reading, and then she looks at me with those eyes; beckons me to scramble over and have a moment with her, a moment we can make last forever. She makes me laugh, she makes me cry, she makes me sigh…hey, am I becoming a poet? Oh, I'm sorry. Tino here, but I guess you figured that out already! Care to guess what today is? Huh? Give up? It's anniversary day. Yep, Tish and me managed to hold it together for a whole year. Probably because we've tried to keep things moving at a very lax pace. That, and we've been trying to keep it a secret from Carver and Lor, so that made us keep a low profile. So, anyway, we decided we want to spend this weekend together. Um, kind of alone. So this is what we've been dreading. The day we finally tell the guys about us. I thought we'd drop the bomb on them when we go out for some pizza. Heh, heh. Wish us luck!"

"You say something, T?" asked Carver, who sidled up beside his good friend.

"Man, Carver, those new shoes of yours give you some serious stealth!" Tino half-jumped, surprised to see Carver appear before him. 

"You really think so? Maybe I should look into becoming a spy! Oh yeah, I can see it now..."

"You're going to be involved in matters of national security? That's just downright scary! That's like...me becoming a starting pitcher for the Yankees."

"A long shot?"

"A big mistake. Besides, I thought your dream is to design shoes for a living."

"I was thinking that could be like my part-time job. Y'know, a little supplemental income."

Tino laughed. "Yeah? Our first jobs are probably going to be working at the Snack Shack or something."

"Uh-uh. No way, not me. The Coolness will never forgive that kind of betrayal! I'm gonna try to get in at the mall. Now Lor, she would look good down at the Snack Shack."

"I don't really think that would be her kind of thing. Besides, I really need to work at the Snack Shack. I deserve a respite from Mom's cooking!"

"I hadn't even thought of that. You're right, Tino, the Snack Shack is definitely for you!"

"Snack Shack?" Lor wondered aloud.

"Lor!" Both boys shouted at once.

"That's what they call me. What's up with you?"

"I didn't hear you come up, that's all." Carver grinned.

"Me either." Tino mentioned. "Of course, I didn't notice Carver coming either."

"Gee, I feel so special." Lor rolled her eyes. "Where would I be without my friends?"

"Hey now, you know we didn't mean it like that!" moaned Carver. 

"Yeah, but it's more fun to milk things like that. Guys hate being in the doghouse. Of course, you could make it up to me with some pizza."

"Of course." Tino smirked. 

"Where's Tish?"

"I dunno. Haven't seen her since lunch."

"Maybe she got held up."

Carver didn't agree. "Tish may be a brain, but she's usually just as anxious to get out of here as we are."

"Sorry I'm late!" The girl in question shouted from behind as she ran up.

"Man!" Tino called. "You guys are all coming out of the woodwork today."

"Sorry. I got into a bit of a debate. Can you believe there's actually people out there who think that Aeschylus is better than Sophocles? It's insane!"

Lor's eyes narrowed when she looked at Tish. "Um, yeah. Crazy." Carver just shook his head. "So, pizza?"

"I could go for a slice."

"Me too." Tino agreed.

"Well, I do have some math homework I should get out of the way." Carver added.

"What say we all go home, get rid of our homework, then meet for pizza at four. That enough time for everyone?"

"I guess I could make myself a snack." Lor decided. 

"Great." Carver smiled. "Let's roll with it."

"Tino?" Tish asked. "I might stop by in a bit to work on our lab report, if you're up to it." 

"Sure." Tonitini smiled in reply. "See you in a bit!" 

Half an hour later, Tino was flopped out on his bed with an issue of Captain Dreadnought spread out in front of  him. "Yep, so here we are, Age 13, still lookin' good! As you can tell, we really haven't changed that much. Except for the being able to officially call ourselves teenagers. Plus, now we can get into PG-13 movies with out school ID cards. Yeah, things have been going pretty well. It's hard to believe how close we are to high school. They handed out our course selection sheets earlier this week, but I haven't figured out what I want to take yet. The only stuff I know for sure is the stuff they force me to take. Plus I have to sit down with the guys and figure all this out. If we're going to take any of the same classes, it wouldn't be very cool if we signed up for different timeslots. I did check with Tish on the phone earlier in the week. We decided to take some classes together but to make sure we were apart for the really important ones. We'd just end up distracting each other too much. Considerate of each other, aren't we?"

"Tino, your shadow is here!" a familiar maternal voice echoed up the stairs. The sound of soft footsteps pattered up the stairs, followed by a knock at the door to his room. 

"Come!" Tino called, flipping his comic book shut and placing it in a stack. He reached under the bed to find his lab notebook. "Hey, Tish! Wow, you got here early."

"I thought you might like to get a jumpstart on the weekend."

"The battle plans?"  
  


"Yup. I still haven't quite thought of how we're going to tell them. Maybe we should just call it off." She hesitated.

"Tempting. But it's getting a little impractical. They're just going to have to cope with it. Besides, maybe we're making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I mean, we've been an item for a year now, Tish, and we haven't treated our friends any differently. We haven't blown them off to just spend time with each other even once. This will be the first time, but we've got a right to. It's our anniversary!"

"A whole year." Tish smiled. "It really doesn't feel like a year has gone by. Not just with us, I mean...I can remember like when I was still seven, and now we're thirteen and it's like an entirely different world."

"You're right. But I'm glad you're my friend, Tish. And my significant other too. You're really great at being both."

"That's what friends are for." She smiled back. "All right, let's get this lab thing out of the way so we can enjoy our weekend."

"No, OUR weekend."

"Nice try, bub." The mysterious pizza server said through a faux gray mustache. "I caught you red handed with a craving for pepperoni and onions." The server stared Tino down as though he were the next Unabomber. "I'm going to have to write you a ticket."

"For how much?"

"For a large pepperoni and onion pizza, of course."

"Hey! I don't have a craving for pepperoni!" Tish yelled.

"Keep it up and I'll have to haul you in, little lady!" Furiously the man scribbled onto a pad, ripping the paper off and passing it to his partner. "Book 'em" he said as they both walked away.

"Ok." Lor stared after them. "That was pretty creepy."

"Way past." Carver agreed, as the four friends lounged around their favorite table. The Bahia Bay Pizza Department seemed unusually quiet, and the jail cells lining the walls were empty, which made Tino more comfortable.

"So, what's up for the weekend guys?" Lor wondered aloud, never knowing she had just asked the $64,000,000 question.

"Funny you should mention that." Tino smiled. "There's something I need to talk to you guys about."

"We need to talk to you about." Tish corrected.

"What's up?" Carver asked. "You two stumble across a big event going on this weekend."

"Well, you might say that." Tish hesitated.

"But it's kind of exclusive." Tino added.

"Whoa, stop everything." Lor interrupted. "Does this have anything to do with me putting on a dress?"

"No."

"Okay then." Her eyes passed back and forth across her three friends. "What?"

Tino sighed. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Well tell us what's going on!" Carver answered.

"It's not that simple!" Tish felt frustrated.

"What's not simple?"

Tino took a deep breath, holding it for nearly thirty seconds before letting go. He sighed, then stood up and explained the situation as best he could. "We've got an anniversary to celebrate."

"What anniversary?" Asked Lor.

"Ours." Tish tried to emphasize, taking hold of Tino's arm.

"You and Tino? This is the anniversary of when you first met?"

"Not exactly."

"So....." Carver began.

Tino breathed in and just let the truth out. "One year ago today Tish and I started dating."

"Technically tomorrow." Tish corrected. "Today would be the anniversary of the first time we kissed."

Lor and Carver stared at them as though Tino and Tish had just beamed down and announced they were visitors from the planet Flaflooga."

"We kept it a secret from you guys all this time because we weren't sure how you would take it, and because we wanted to keep things slow." Tino explained. "But this being our anniversary and all, Tish and I really want to spend it by ourselves. We've been planning it for two months now."

Lor's mouth remained agape, Carver managed to blink and swallow. "Whoa." Descartes managed to get out. 

"Um, yeah." Tish tried to support Tino's news. "I hope you're not too weirded out."

"So you two have been together for a whole year?"

"Yes."

"And you're just telling us now?"

"Yup." Tino replied.

"I don't believe it. I mean, I believe it, it's just...I can't believe we never noticed."

"We tried to keep a low profile."

"I never saw it coming at all! Did you Lor? Lor?" Carver took hold of Lor's shoulders and shook her a bit. "Lor, you still in there?"  
  


"Huh? Lor blinked several times, like she was coming out of a trance. "Did you ever suspect they were a couple?"

"Huh? No. Why would I?"

"I don't know, I just can't believe none of us noticed."

"We're good." Tish shrugged.

"I'm kind of confused." Lor struggled. " I think it's going to take time for this to sink in."

"I'm sorry." Tino looked at the floor. "We should've told you sooner, but I figured you guys would just make fun of us all the time."

"Yeah." Carver grinned. "We probably would. In fact, I think we still will, after this all sinks in."

"Um, look." Tino felt sheepish as a pizza was placed in front of them. Slowly he grabbed a piece and bit deep into it. Tish followed suit, but she had to stop to pick pieces of pepperoni off. "I'm sorry about all this, really. It just seemed like there was never a good time to tell you guys. Look, I promise this doesn't change anything. We're not going to start blowing you guys off all the time to be alone. We're better friends than that. It's just that, you know..."  
  


"No, no. It's cool. It's your anniversary. You two should go out and have a good time. Really."

"What about Lor?" She looks a little shaky. 

"She'll get past it, man, it's no big."

"I hope you're right." Tino took twenty dollars out of his wallet and put it on the table. "Take that, it should cover the pizza and leave you guys some mad money. I promise next weekend we'll be back to normal."

"You don't have to do that, T."

"We want to." Tish smiled. "Tino and I have been saving for this weekend for two months, and we wanted to give you guys a little something since we knew this would be hard."

Carver looked at the bill on the table before relenting and putting it in his own pocket. "Okay, if that's what you want."

"We'd better get out of here." Tish smiled hesitantly. "We, uh, don't want to bother you too much."

"And you've got lots of stuff planned." Carver winked. "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of Lor."

"Thanks Carver. You're a good friend." Tino felt elated that Carver understood.

"So are you two. Have a good time, tell me about it on Monday, okay?"

"We will!" Tish called, slipping out the door with Tino. "Tell Lor everything is okay when she gets back to normal!"

"Count on it!" Carver reassured them, helping himself to some pizza. As he ate and looked over Lor, who seemed lost in her thoughts, he felt oddly philosophical. "Tino and Tish, huh?" He wondered aloud. "I never saw it coming, but now that I see it, I wonder how I ever could've missed it. Couldn't have happened to nicer people." Both Carver and Lor sat in the restaurant for a long time, one contemplating the future of his friends, the other pondering her own.

I was pleased with the way this comes out, it was fun, funny, and poignant all at the same time. The next step in the adventure has officially begun, everyone. I think that fans of this pairing will enjoy what's coming up, while those who are big fans of Lor will have other happenings to be just as excited about. We'll see what goes on with them both in the next installment. Until next time, keep reading!

Lord Malachite

5/30/03

5:41 PM, EST

E-mail:ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	2. Unexpected

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Two

"Unexpected"

Friday

"So....." Tish began hesitantly, "how should we start?"

"Well," Tino grinned, "We could go back to my house."

"Weren't we just there?"

"Yeah."

"So why go back?"

"Oh, I thought maybe we could just hang out, talk for awhile...maybe you could open the gift I got..."

"You did get me something!" Tish squealed happily.

"Actually, I got US something. You're going to love it! I just didn't want to take it with us when we broke the news to the guys."

"What is it?!"

Tino laughed. "I guess you'll just have to find out when you open it..."

"Oh sure, just leave me in suspense."

"We'll get to it soon enough. You know, I don't mind what we do this weekend, Tish. I just want to spend it with you."

"You're mushy today." She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, sorry. Must be an anniversary thing."

"I never said I didn't like it..." She teased, turning full circle on her heel playfully.

"You're in a mood yourself."

"Never said I wasn't. I'm sorry, Tino. I'm just...excited! I've been looking forward to this for awhile. I've never done anything like this before, but I'm looking forward to it. Maybe now that we don't have to be so secretive, we can have a better relationship."

"I'd say it's been pretty good so far."

"Yeah, but I mean...now we can spend a little more time together. We should share more, Tino. I mean, I'm not saying you don't share anything with me. I just think that now it can be a little more. We don't have to look over our shoulders all the time."

"No, you're right. And I think that's cool."

"So, you think maybe you would come to one of my art classes sometimes?"

"I could, Tish, but you know art and I don't really get along. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I'm no good at it."

"Oh. Right." She sighed.

"If you want me to, I'll go. I just like hanging out with you, Tish."

"Thanks, Tino. Sometimes I like to hear that."

"Me too."

"Man, I still can't believe it!" Carver laughed. "I just never saw it coming! I think it's kind of cool though. And at least it means they've got locked in dates for the Graduation Dance. So what do you think?"

Lor's eyes still felt as big as saucers, even though the truth was that they were a far more normal size. Even though Tino and Tish were long gone, Lor still felt like a deer caught in headlights, frozen in place. "Carver?"

"Yeah?"

"I just...I don't know what to think. This is really like a punch in the gut."

"Why?"

"I don't know why!" Lor shouted, wincing at the emotion in her voice. "I don't know why." She repeated in a whisper. "It doesn't make sense."

"You're not jealous, right? I'm just checking."

"No, I don't...think so. I mean, over Tino? I guess he's alright, but I'd much rather have Thompson!"

"Sorry to make assumptions. I just wanted to be sure."

"It's just, it's weird, you know. We're supposed to be friends. It's like, they're breaking the rules or something."

"I don't know about that. There's rules?"

"I don't know. It just feels, wrong somehow."

"Well Lor, they are our friends, and we should support them in their decision."

"I'm sorry, Carver. Look, don't worry, it's not like I'm going to come down on them or anything. I'm just....confused. What if they break up and it ruins our friendship."

"Possible, but apparently they've been doing this for a whole year. They must be pretty confident."

Tino opened his front door, politely allowing Tish to enter ahead of him. "Ladies first." He grinned.

"How charming." She batted her eyelashes, enjoying the game. They weren't normally this overly considerate, but they were both feeling pretty giddy about their anniversary. "So...." Tish smiled.

"So.....?"

"Where's that gift?"

"Under my bed. Can't wait?"

"No!"

Both of them raced up the stairs towards Tino's room, grinning all the while. Problems ensued when they both tried to squeeze into the bedroom at the same time. They pushed, pulled, ended up elbowing one another, but ended up just as stuck as when they had begun. Finally, Tino relented, and Tish slipped past him, inside. "Okay, so where is it?" Tish wondered as she quickly surveyed Tino's room, her eyes drifting past posters of Captain Dreadnought and Chum Bukkit, a warm glow filling her when she saw the wreath she had put together a year ago hanging on a nail over Tino's headboard.

"Hang on, hang on, I'll get it!"

"Tino?" Miss Tonitini called on. "You back again?"

"Yeah, Mom. Tish is here too! We're just hangin' out together."

"Well, you'd better get busy packing. We're going up to the lake this weekend."

"What? Mom, you can't! I told you! I'm busy this weekend! Any weekend but this one Mom! Please!"

"Can't help it. Dixon already made the reservations!" Tino sighed as his mother appeared at the door. "Hi there, Tish."

"Hi Miss Tonitini." Tish responded, politely but with no enthusiasm.

"Mom, this isn't funny!" Tino got the conversation back on track. "You know this weekend is my anniversary with Tish, and we just finally went and told the guys about us, and, and...I just can't go away this weekend!"

"Yeah, I figured something like this would happen." Tino's mother replied. "Fortunately, I thought ahead and got permission from Tish's parents to bring her. That is, so long as she doesn't mind rooming with me. Tino, you'll be with Dixon."

The teens looked at each other, mouths simultaneously dropping to the floor. "Mom! That's, uh, I mean, this is just....whoa."

Ms. Tonitini laughed. "Tino, I'm your mother. It's my job to come through for you. One of many, anywho."

"This is incredible!" Tish shouted. "I mean, we had a weekend planned together, but...this is so cool!"

"You'd better get home and pack, Tish. We'll stop by to pick you up in an hour or so, don't worry."

"I'll be ready with bells on!" Tish hollered, already halfway out the door. Abruptly she came to a halt, turning around to peek her head back in. "Tino, we'll exchange gifts when we get there, okay? Seeya!" She called, bounding down the steps.

"She's a little strange, Tino." his mother mused. "But she's definitely your type."

"Don't I know it?!"

Tish was just about to slip out the front door when a noise in the kitchen caught her ear. She turned to follow the noise, and was a little surprised to find Dixon in the kitchen, cheerily filling coolers with ice and various beverages, a select few Tish noted she and Tino wouldn't be invited to share. "Dixon?!"

"Eh?" The man in question turned towards the sound of his name. "Oh! Hey there, Tish. How are those English studies going?"

"Well, thanks. I got into a debate today with some dimwit who thinks that Aeschylus is better than Sophocles." Tish scoffed. "'Sha, as if!"

"What is the world coming to?" Dixon laughed with her. "Sometimes I feel like I belong in a Eugene O'Neill play."

"A Long Day's Journey Into Night?" Tish beamed.

"Is there any other?"

"Dixon? There's something I want to ask you."

Dixon shrugged. "I'm free."

"Was it your idea for Tino and I to come with you?"

"Oh, I may have had a hand in it. Tino's mom was pretty insistent that we couldn't go this weekend because of you two. But this was the only weekend I could get such a cheap rate, so I found a way to compromise."

"I know I may have said this before," Tish began, "but you are the coolest person ever!"

Dixon laughed. "I try."

"But what about your daughter, Moira?"

"I farmed her out to one of her friend's this weekend. Believe me, it wasn't hard. Besides, I'd like to spend some time with Tino. I mean, don't get me wrong, his mom and I won't intrude on you. But we will be rooming together, so I thought it would be a good chance to get to know one another better, without the pressure of having his Mom around, you know?

"I think I can relate to that." She winked in response.

"You know, I don't mean to rush you, but you'd better run home and pack. We're taking off at six!"

"I'll be ready! Um, thanks for everything, Dixon. You're really..."

He held up a hand to stop her. "Just doing my job." He grinned. "See you soon!"

"I certainly will!" He smiled as the girl turned and ran all the way home. As she left, he took a deep breath and sighed, thinking of all her potential, and the places she would one day go.

This chapter is a little short, which I apologize for. For the month of June, I'm on this horrid schedule at work which my body is refusing to adapt to. The end result is that I get only 5 hours of sleep a night, come home, and I feel exhausted. But I can't go to sleep because my brain isn't ready and I have so much to do. And my mind is desperate to get back to the story, even though my body is less willing. Anywho, understandably my schedule won't allow for updates quite as frequently under these conditions. I'm going to try to let something out during the week and also on Fridays. This may mean that chapters will be shorter than they have been in the past. Not so short that they aren't worth reading, just that I don't have as much time to devote. However, if I waited to release more normal chapters, I think the wait would be interminable to you people. So I'll probably post them to the forum with some frequency, but combine shorter chapters into one before releasing on Fanfiction.net. So you may see Chapter 2, Chapter 2.5, etc. in the future

Despite my depleted energy levels, I still love writing this story, that's why I'm determined to work around my current situation. This too, shall pass. As always, I simply ask that you read and review, and continued thanks to my loyal supporters. Have a good one, guys!

Lord Malachite

6/4/03

9:41 PM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	3. Feelings

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Three

"Feelings"

Friday

"I'm sorry I'm being weird." Lor sighed as she and Carver walked slowly down the street, no particular destination in mind. I just...suddenly stuff like this matters to me. It's not the same anymore. It's like...they're on a different level than me now, y'know?"

"I don't think it's all that big a deal. They've been up to it for a whole year!" Carver countered. "It's not like they act all mushy together around us. Stop and think about it for a sec, Lor. A whole year! I mean, that's a long time. So whatever they've been up to, it looks like they found a system that really works for them. And like I said before, this is the first time they've ever ditched us just to be alone together. That's pretty cool of them. It means that all along they've been thinking about us, trying not to weird us out or just forget about us."

Lor growled in frustration, upset with the situation, not her companion. "I know, I know. And it's not like I don't want them to be happy. I'm just. . .I guess I'm just not comfortable with it right now, that's all. Maybe it's just a girl thing. Everything you say is right, but it still bothers me. And no, I'm not jealous. I know it looks like I am, Carver." She smirked, trying to show that she wasn't feeling completely down. 

Carver shrugged. "Maybe we should just try not to think about it for awhile. Y'know, if it upsets you."

Lor playfully punched him in the shoulder in a friendly way. "C'mon." She laughed. "Don't must out on me. I'll be fine."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Well, one good thing did come out of this. The lovebirds gave us twenty bucks!"

"Yeah, and on their anniversary too. I still don't feel right about that. We should've been the one giving them something."

"Hey, what better way to celebrate their anniversary than by spending their hard-earned money?"

Carver slapped his palm against his forehead. "You were one of those girls who used to take a magnifying glass to her Barbie dolls, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but shortly after that, I got my first basketball, so no loss."

"Come on, let's go get a snow cone or something."

Evening was beginning to give way to night as the car passed through the Californian mountains, the splendors of nature unfolding on all sides of it. Tish glowed as she tried to take in all the scenery. She had never been up into the mountains before, most of the trips she took centered around urban areas. It had been a long time since Tino had been up this way too. He couldn't form any specific memories in his mind, but something in the back of his thoughts insisted that this was very familiar.

The wind from the open windows blew Tish's long hair about freely, and Tino deftly scooped up a small handful and lightly tugged to get her attention. "Having fun?" He asked, twirling the strands around his index finger.

"It's wonderful!" She sang, the perfect depiction of mirth. "I wish I had been out this way a long time ago."

Dixon smiled. "If you have a good time, I'm sure we can bring you out again the next time we come, Tish."

"Really?" She looked as though someone had told her she had just won the California lottery AND an autographed copy of The Canterbury Tales.

"Absolutely. The mountains are beautiful, but they're a lot more fun when you've got the right people to share them with." Tino saw his mother give Dixon a knowing look out of the corner of her eye, and he began to feel something he hadn't let himself feel in a long time. A sense of family and belonging. With his mother and his girlfriend present, along with a guy who Tino felt was doing a better than average job of being a father figure, Tino felt more secure than he had in a long time.

"I'd like that." Tish smiled. "Thank you both so much for bringing me."

"Yeah." Tino reiterated. "Thanks for letting her come."

"You're welcome." Tino's mother smiled. "And so polite, too!"

"Hey Tino?" Tish asked.

"Hmm?" Tino turned to her.

"I think maybe next weekend, I'd like you to meet my parents."

Tino looked blankly at her for a moment. "But, uh, Tish, I've already met your parents. They're nice people. A little eccentric, but nice."

Tish laughed. "I know you've met them, but I mean, they know you as my friend, not as my..."

"Oh. Well, um, sure, I understand. Uh, they're not going to put me through any weird Old Country traditions if you introduce me as your boyfriend, are they?"

"Um, I think there might be something involving both us and my parents. If they approve, that is, but I don't see any reason why they wouldn't. I mean, they know you and they think you're really polite."

"Sure, why not. I'd say you're worth a few awkward moments. Um, so long as Lor and Carver aren't going to be there."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Tish giggled.

"So, what exactly do we have to do?"

"Oh, it's just kind of a standard introduction......"

"That's it?"

"Well....."

"Tish?"

".......There's.........some yodeling......"

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"I'm sorry!"

"Oh come on, Tino, it won't be so bad." Ms. Tonitini laughed.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to do it!" Tino tried to defend himself.

"You'll do it?" Tish asked.

Tino smirked. "Well, it wouldn't exactly be fear to cut my mom in and leave your folks in the dark, would it? Of course I'll do it. Just so long as we agree not to talk about it afterwards!"

"Oh no, don't worry about that. I won't tell a soul if you don't!"

"Deal."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Tish rest her right hand in Tino's left, twining them. "Things have really changed the past year, haven't they?"

"Between us? Yeah, and I like to think we've done pretty well for ourselves."

"I think so too," she sighed, "but I mean, everything has changed. More than just us. We're already getting near the end of eighth grade, and sometimes I feel like the world opened its doors. I'm aware of a lot more than I used to be. I don't know, maybe we grew up, just a little."

"As long as it doesn't happen to us too fast, I'm ready for the world as it comes."

Tish looked out at the setting sun on the horizon. "Do you see that?" She asked. "Whenever I look into the sunset like that, it's like I can see the whole world out there, waiting. And I want to explore it, Tino! We live in a beautiful world, we really do."

"Amen to that." Dixon added. "If I'm not interrupting."

"No!" Tish quickly came out of her reverie. "I'm okay, really I am. I just lost myself for a moment there."

"We live in a beautiful world." Dixon agreed. "But no matter how glorious that world may be, trust me when I say that it's all moot without that special place we can each think of as home."

Tino looked between Dixon and his mother, then towards Tish, who smiled warmly at him. "I'm home." He squeezed Tish's hand. He felt warmth inside when she squeezed back.

Lor reclined atop the wall separating the street from the beach, almost as though she were posing. "Ah, it's just not the same without those two geeks! Every time I think of doing something, it feels empty knowing they won't be here."

"Well, I suppose we could just do nothing." Carver laughed.

"Yeah, but then it's like the weekend's a waste."

"Point taken."

"Want to come by and watch some episodes of Teen Canyon I've got on tape?"

"Well, I don't really want the night to go to waste, so I guess it's fine with me. Maybe we can use the money to catch a movie or something tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"Hey, everything will be cool by tomorrow. I bet it doesn't even bother you then."

"I hope not. I hate feeling like this. It just isn't me. "Hey, what time is it?"

"Eight."

"Maybe I can whoop your butt at a game of pool before we go back to my house." She smiled, jumping off the wall.

"Now that's the Lor I'm talkin' about!"

"Don't worry, she's not changing her address just yet. Winner buys the next round of Chug-A-Freezes?"

"You're on!"

Gravel crunched under tire as the car pulled into a cluster of cabins. The parking lot was rather low-budget, but not quite in disrepair. Dixon pulled up in front of what was clearly the main office, disappearing inside and telling the others to wait. He returned five minutes later with two keys attached to wooden blocks. "These are to our cabins. Sorry it took so long, apparently I reserved us but the owner didn't see fit to put us in cabins adjacent to each other. I haggled us into something suitable, though."

"So where are we going?" Tino asked.

"We're on a far edge, near the woods. It's pretty close to the water but the cabins are facing the long way over there so we don't have a great view from inside. I thought we'd let the girls choose which one they'd prefer, Tino." Dixon smiled, climbing back into the car to drive them over to their lodgings. 

The drive was rather short. This time, all four of them got out of the car, breathing in deep the mountain air (which was flavored heavily by the lake). Tino ran to the rear of the car to get a start on his luggage, quickly thinking to take Tish's suitcase as well. It never hurt to rack up extra points! "Dixon and I can handle the luggage." Tino found himself saying. "Tish, why don't you and Mom go check out the cabins and pick one out for yourselves?"

"My, how chivalrous!" Tino's mother commented. "Alright, Tino, we'll let you know."

"Have fun!"

"Seeya soon, Tino! Thanks for your help!" Tish called as they were walking away.

"You know," Dixon began, nodding in approval at Tino, "I'd say you're already off to a good start. I think you know more about scoring points with the girls than you let on."

"Nah, I just asked myself 'what would Dixon do?' And then I did it."

Dixon laughed. "Just be careful not to overdo it. Chivalry is one thing, but it can get ugly if they start to think you see them as helpless."

"So noted. Thanks, Dixon."

"Don't think this means I can teach you everything. There's some stuff you just have to learn for yourself."

"That stinks." 

"Yeah, but the lessons you learn the hard way are the ones you're guaranteed never to forget. I know, I've been there."

"I hope I'm as smart about this stuff as you are when I get older."

"Older? Speak for yourself, I plan to live forever!" Dixon grunted as he struggled to lift three suitcases.

"Mom packed a lot, didn't she?"

"They usually do."

"Tish only packed one."

"Try to remember that always. Soon enough she'll have a lot more."

"How come they're being so helpful?" Tish asked Ms. Tonitini as they explored the first of their two options. "Not that I don't appreciate it, of course."

"Oh, they're just showing us how caring thoughtful they are in their own way. It is kind of sweet, though it's not nearly so clever as they like to think it is. Still comes in handy though."

"Yep." Tish stretched her comment out relaxingly, inhaling the rustic smell of the wood around them. "You know, I can get used to this."

"What, the men being helpful? Best not to get too used to it!"

Tish laughed. "Well, yeah, that too, but I was referring to this atmosphere. This place is soothing."

"Come to think of it, it has been awhile since I've gotten away from Bahia Bay. Sometimes I forget there is an outside world."

"Thanks again for including me."

"I think Tino would've had a coronary if I hadn't! But that aside, I did want to spend some time with you. I mean, I know you, but I don't feel like I KNOW you. I think you're a good match for my son, so I'd like us to be good friends."

"I'd like that."

"You'll also like how I teach you to manipulate him when he's being unreasonable."

"Oh yeah! But to be honest, we don't usually fight. And when we do, we usually realize we're both being silly and we'd enjoy ourselves a lot more if we just cut it out and remembered what we like about each other so much!"

"That's a very mature attitude, Tish."

"Thanks. It's something I spent a lot of time thinking about right after Tino and I got together. I mean, I felt that if we're actually going to have a relationship, we have a responsibility to it, and Tino agreed. Don't get me wrong, we don't have this perfect relationship or anything. And we always try to keep it simple. But it's so nice to have someone I can always be myself in front of. I know I can be weird, but I also know that it's not going to push Tino away or anything. We're comfortable around each other."

"And it works?"

"I play the dulcimer, he reads Captain Dreadnought." Tish shrugged. "Not exactly overlapping interests, but we're tolerant of each other's hobbies. It's worked well for us so far."

"Well, I hope it continues to work for as long as you two are together."

"Thanks. That....that means a lot."

"You're welcome. So, what do you think of this place? Should we take it?"

"What are the beds like?"

"Fairly soft, considering the atmosphere."

Tish stood up and looked out the back window, the last vestiges of the setting sun disappearing beyond the horizon. "I think we should take the other one."

"Oh?"

"The sun is setting on this side, which is where the bedrooms are. They'll be hot when it's bedtime. The other place is facing the other way, so the bedrooms should be cool at night."

"Nice plan!"

"I try. Shall we check out the other cabin then?"

"Race you! Ms. Tonitini was already out the door as Tish followed. The trip was already off to a successful start.

Another chapter done. I wrote this one all in one sitting, guess I just really felt on the ball tonight. I tried to work in more with Lor but it's hard. There's something very important that will be going on with her but the timeline forces me to have that event happen at the end of Second Stage. Bare with me until then if you're missing her. I promise I'll continue to pop in on her and Carver while I work on the primary scenario. There's some fun to be had with them this stage, I guarantee it!

It's become cliche for me to say, but I had a fun evening while writing this. Best of all, I wasn't so tired that my eyelids were drooping. I think most of this is quality work I'm proud of. I haven't decided whether to release this right away or hold it back until the weekend. Maybe I'll split the difference, we'll see. It depends on what else I get done this week. Okay, that about covers it. I'd just like to give a special thanks to each and every person who has left me a charming review over at Fanfiction.net. You folks are all very special to me, and I'm glad you're enjoying my work so much. I hope that this latest installment is enough to fill your bellies for a short while. My fans at The Weekenders forum, you're no less worthy. Thank you all for reading. See you next time!

Lord Malachite

6/10/03

10:28 PM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	4. Experimentation

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Four

"Experimentation"

Friday

"Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" Tino asked, fanning himself to the best of his abilities.

"It's hot." Dixon agreed. "The price we pay for chivalry. At least the air outside is cool."

"So, how do we go about getting some of that air in here?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't think far enough ahead to bring a fan, so I'm afraid we'll have to hope nature provides some air conditioning. The lake should give off a decent breeze."

"Maybe I'd better spend some time swimming tomorrow. If it's going to be hot in here at night, I'd like to be cool during the day." Tino sighed.

"Oh, I'm sure you and Tish will be too busy tomorrow to worry about the temperature. From what I gathered, it sounded like you two had a lot planned for this weekend before we uprooted you."

"To be honest, not really, just that we wanted to spend all our time together. I do have something special in mind for when we exchange gifts, but aside from that...I just wanted us to be able to be ourselves, without having to hide anything from our friends."

"Your mom tells me you finally told them."

"Yeah, we figured it was getting to be just a tad bit...what's the word Tish used? Disingenuous."

"Good for you. I think it'll help you grow as a person."

"Yeah. It'll also lead to Carver and Lor making little kissing noises behind our backs at the most embarrassing moments they can find."

Dixon laughed. "It's not like you can blame them. You two will be such easy targets!"

"Great. It's nice to know my doom is certain."

"Oh come now, you're just being melodramatic! Think of it this way, you've got three great friends, one who seems to make a right fine significant other. You're almost out of the abyss of middle school and into those exciting high school years, what more could you ask for?"

"A raise in my allowance."

"You'd have to ask next door for that."

"You could put in a good word for me."

"Or you could work odd jobs."

"I like my idea better!" Tino harrumphed.

"Why am I not surprised? So tell me, Tino, what's it like celebrating your first anniversary?" 

"I'm not really sure just yet, we haven't done much in the way of celebrating. To be honest, I don't really have any idea what I'm supposed to do, except of course getting an appropriate gift, but I got that covered in spades!"

"Oh?"

"Sorry, can't tell you. Keeping it a total secret. Maybe after tomorrow night I'll tell you."

"Fair enough. Well, if it's any comfort, I think you're doing just fine so far. Y'know, anniversaries aren't about presents, or parties, or big celebrations. It's about being together, just enjoying one another's company. Sure, you do that anyways, but I've always felt it's supposed to be a reaffirmation of your choice to be with that person that makes you feel special."

Tino stared for a moment at the man who had slowly become his male role model. "Thanks, Dixon."

"Don't mention it. So, whaddya say we get some food going so you can spend a little time with the lady in question tonight, hmm?"

"Sounds good!"

"Did you see that?!" Carver whooped in happiness! "That's the third ball in a row I ran. I am hot!"

"Go you." Lor yawned. 

"Are you feeling okay? You're really off your game tonight, Lor."

"I dunno. Maybe my heart just isn't in it."

"Hey, c'mon! This is the gamiest place on earth. Having a good time is mandatory."

"Think I'll get in trouble?"

Carver set his cue stick down on a nearby bench to focus on Lor. "Come on. Lay one of your magic shots on me."

"I don't know if I can."

"Sure you can! Take the stick. Feel the Force..."

"Okay, now you're just being corny."

"I know." Carver hung his head.

"What's the matter? You worried I've lost it or something?"

"You? Lose it? I fail to see how that could even be possible!"

"It's talk like that that'll get you jinxed." Lor warned. "I've got plenty of skill, I know, but no true athlete ever rules out luck." She grinned. "Luck is a hunky date, Carver, but he isn't fond of commitment."

"I thought luck was a lady."

"Only for the guys." Lor revealed as she picked up what Carver was beginning to think of as his "magic cue." His friend deftly twirled the stick in her left arm like a weapon before setting her sights on her quarry. Lining up her shot like a surgeon prepares a cut, she triple-checked to make certain that everything was just so before drawing back on the stick and then driving it forward with a great deal of force. Carver couldn't even follow exactly what happened, but he did remember seeing five separate balls easily slide into varying pockets, passing through his gaze in a blur. "Is that more like it?"

"Okay, I consider myself owned."

"You know it! And I believe you owe me a Chug-A-Freez."

"I do?"

"Oh yeah, definitely."

"Somehow I feel like I'm getting stuck here..."

"You're thinking of it all wrong, dude. It's like an honor."

"Yeah. I feel so privileged."

"I know. It can be overwhelming." Lor smirked.

"This is kinda weird. I mean, you and I usually mooch of the guys."

Lor shrugged. "Yeah, but it's supposed to be the guy's job to buy the snacks. Actually, wait. Can't you just use some of the money they gave us? Then it's like we're still mooching off them."

"Hey, you're right! Now I definitely feel better about it."

"All in a day's work. So c'mon, hurry up, I think I'm getting in my zone."

"Waitaminute. If you're in the zone, how am I supposed to have any chance of winning?"

"That's where the challenge comes in! Or, maybe we could just find some unsuspecting suckers to challenge?"

"Now you're talking!"

"So that's all it takes?" Tish blinked.

Tino's mother smiled. "The thing you have to remember about my son is he's pretty insecure, but at the same time, easily cured of it. I have to admit, I've always been a little worried about him dating. I was young once too, and I know he's got that lost puppy dog quality."

"Yeah..." Tish sighed happily, drifting into a nervous laugh to try and avoid looking like the lovesick schoolgirl she had just projected herself as. 

Miss. Tonitini laughed. "Works every time. Fortunately, I like to think I raised Tino to treat the ladies well."

"Oh, no problem in that compartment. Actually, we just like to spend time together. To be honest, it hasn't really been like I imagined dating someone would be. Not that I think it's bad or anything, I really like it. We've always got a lot to talk about. Some of our interests overlap, some don't, but we really aren't afraid to just do our own thing together sometimes. Two weeks ago, we went to the park together and sat under our favorite tree. Tino read comic books. I read Candide." She shrugged. "I guess it's just that we don't always have to say or do something. It's nice to just enjoy company."

"Ok, how old are you again? 13 going on 33? I don't think I've heard any of MY friends come out with something that mature."

"I know, I know." Tish winced. "I can't help it that I'm not like most other people."

"So? There's nothing wrong with that. I think it's wonderful. If you two can have a good time together just doing nothing, I don't think you have anything to worry about. And as for being different, well, the world would be a pretty boring place without 'different' people. Take a look at Dixon! You can't match a mold to that man, he's one of a kind."

"It doesn't make me very popular though."

"What, because you're cultured?"

"I wish! I'm cultured, overeducated, and no one can pronounce my name. I can't even fit it onto those standardized test forms! If I have a daughter, I'm going to give her a name that isn't too long and that will ensure no one ever makes fun of her. Antigone."

"Whatever floats your boat. But what if it's a boy?"

"Hmm. Maybe Brutus."

"Brutus and Antigone. Well, it beats naming them after members of Chum Bukkit."

"That's Plan B."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door by a large man and a teenage boy. Tino couldn't help but feel that he looked like Robin next to Dixon's Batman. At first he thought it was a little silly, but now he was beginning to enjoy the idea. Of course, he'd much rather be Junior Dreddy, but his "training" was not yet complete. Still, Dixon was explaining a lot to him about the finer points of guy/girl stuff, things Tino hadn't even considered yet, like fancy dinners. He figured he might want to consult with Tish when an opportunity presented itself.

"Well," Tino's mother smirked, "isn't this a surprise. "Look Tish, I found us some rugged mountain men."

"Rugged. Right." Tino sighed, knowing he looked like anything but. "That's us all over."

"I thought maybe we could slip down to the general store for a bit." Dixon began. "It's got a small ice cream parlor inside. Real old-fashioned ice cream. A perfect ending to a perfect day, wouldn't you say? 

"Splendid!" Tish called.

"Oh, what the heck. It sounds like fun to me too. Can we walk?"

"I'd planned on it when I thought up the idea. You wouldn't believe the heat in our bedroom."

Tish gave her roommate a knowing look, which was appreciatively returned. "Alright then. Why don't you kids go ahead and run along. We'll catch up. I'm sure you have plenty you want to talk about."

Tino beamed. "Thanks Mom! We'll see you there!"

"Have fun!"

"Tish?"

"Ready! See you guys!" The two teenagers quickly jumped out the front door and into the cool night air.

Miss Tonitini sighed as she saw Tish bound down the front walk onto the trail with her son. "I was never that young."

"No." Dixon smiled. "You were younger."

"Miss me?" Tish asked, ruffling Tino's hair as she practically bounced around him in a circle.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Tino. "What's got you so wound up?"

"I love it here!" she giggled. "This place is so nice! Plus your Mom is pretty cool. She's a good listener, and she's got all this great advice!"

"Yeah, she's helped me out with a dilemma or two. Mom is definitely...I dunno, she's just Mom, but she almost always has the answer for me when I feel like I'll never figure things out."

"Well, I'm really enjoying getting to know her."

"She hasn't cooked for you yet." Tino smirked.

"Neither have I!" Tish crossed her arms over her chest in a classic What's-That-Supposed-To-Mean look.

"I, um.....well, that is,-"

"Relax. I'm just playing with you." She hooked an arm through his and slowed her pace, falling into step by Tino's side. "I'm just glad to be here."

"Me too."

"You still owe me a present." She giggled.

"Tomorrow."

She stuck her tongue out in response. "You're no fun."

"You'll thank me for it later."

"Don't I get anything?"

"An ice cream."

"Well, at least it's not a total loss." She smiled, then stopped in her tracks. "Hey, Tino! Look!"

"What?"

"Over there!" Tish pointed up ahead and to the left at a small clearing.

"Is that?"

"A playground!" Tish unhooked herself and ran towards it quickly. Tino shrugged before following her.

"I don't believe it."

"It's...a playground. Tish, are you feeling okay?"

Tish laughed, trotting over to a swing set. "It's been a long time. I was just thinking about being little again the other day. But I couldn't go back to the playground back home. Someone might see me. Don't think there's much chance of that here, though." She sat down on the rightmost swing, kicking her legs up into the air and turning her head coyly in Tino's direction. "Push me?"

"I'd be honored." Tish sighed as Tino firmly planted his hands into her back, turning back to him before he pushed her forward.

"If you think I'm being childish, I understand."

Tino smiled. "I think we're all entitled to relive our childhoods every now and again. So long as we don't get carried away." 

Tish leaned upwards and presented him with a brief kiss, grinning as she plopped back down in the swing. "No rules saying we can't have a foot in each world."

"I like the sound of that." Tino responded, pushing her forward. He propelled her on each return trip until she had achieved sufficient height. "So what made you think of the playground?"

"Earlier this week, I was remembering what it was like to be that young. Things were so much different back then. I never cared about how I looked. School was all about fun. No one expected anything of us. It was kind of nice. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like who I am. It's just, sometimes I think about being young again. I don't want to forget." She smiled at the cool breeze on her face as she swung to and fro. 

Tino hopped up onto the swing beside her, pumping his legs a few times in an effort to synchronize with Tish's height. "I think I can understand that."

"I woke up that day and realized I was a teenager already. I'm not even sure where it all went."

"I don't know either. But I do know I'm glad I had friends like you and Lor and Carver to spend some of those years with. They made a big difference."

"Thanks. You're sweet."

"Nah, just honest. C'mon, let me buy you a cone."

"Just a few more minutes?"

Tino smiled. "Yeah. Bet I can swing higher than you!"

"You're on!"

Hello again, everyone. Thanks for reading. Parts of this were very therapeutic to write, because I was able to convey a lot of emotions and thoughts I've had over the past few months. I tried to stop for a bit in this chapter just to smell the roses, but I certainly don't think I was treading water. What happened here was pretty important to the theme, I think. I really love writing this story, I've found it to be just....energizing. Sure, sometimes it keeps me awake at night, sometimes it stays with me all day, demanding to be worked on all day, and then I have to come home and do just that.

Thanks once again to the readers, especially those who have been supporting me since the time this whole story was nothing more than an experiment occupying a few pages. I intend to continue entertaining you right up until the end.

Be seeing you soon!

Lord Malachite

6/20/03

10:43 PM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	5. Waking

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Five

"Waking"

Saturday

Tino awoke to a noticeably cooler cabin, the sound of Dixon's muffled snoring stirring the atmosphere. Lazily, Tino rolled over in his own bed, thinking dreamily upon the perfect start he already had on his weekend. Their weekend. Tish was really open in this place, much moreso than usual. He didn't think of her as very uptight, but she was definitely less inhibited. Tino blushed slightly, thinking of how willingly she had exposed her childish side to him the night before. The dichotomy was by no means lost on him. After the swinging contest which Tish had inevitably won (even swinging wasn't a sport Tino could perform competitively in), they had shared a double header ice cream come, two scoops on each side. The night was rounded out by a not unpleasant hour underneath an oak tree, sharing their respective hopes and dreams, silly stories from their childhood, and the occasional kiss when there just wasn't anything else to be said on a subject. 

Much to Tino's chagrin, he still didn't consider himself much of a kisser. Their desire to maintain discretion back home had made this a natural state. Tino ducked his head under the covers as he came to the realization that Tish usually took the lead and set the rhythm, it was a little embarrassing!  His face red, Tino wondered if Tish wasn't doing a little research in her spare time, it wasn't beyond feasibility at all. In fact, it would be just like her. He made a mental note to ask her about it. It never paid to underestimate Tish, she was undeniably coy and clever, but certainly not dishonest. It was an admirable trait. Tish would never apologize for being herself, she expected people to accept her as she came. That attitude, combined with the intimidation of her being such a brain, had not afforded her many friends in life, though the ones she had, their loyalty could not be denied. Perhaps that was why their small circle had stayed together for so long—no matter what happened, they were all true blue friends. 

Yawning, Tino rolled over to face the new day. Was it 7:30 already? Ordinarily, he would've stayed in bed until his mother forced him to get up and be subjected to some sort of breakfast his stomach wouldn't be ready to face. But not today! Dixon was in charge of his breakfast today! Beautiful eggs sizzling in a frying pan, with pancakes, toast, and bacon...glorious bacon! Maybe a glass of orange or cranberry juice, yeah that was the ticket! "Man I'm hungry!" Tino expressed aloud, his heart sinking as he saw Dixon still asleep. "Aw man, this just isn't right! Hey, Dixon, can you get up?" Tino asked, shaking his chaperone gently. "I hate to be a pain, but I bet mom is already awake, and I'm afraid she'll come running over here with breakfast if you don't beat her to it!"

Dixon responded by opening one eye, blinking it several times until the image of the alarm clock became clearer. "7:32?"

"Yeah, I know, it's early."

"And you want breakfast?"

"Um, yeah. I hate to be a pain."

Dixon yawned, then rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. "Well, it's not too early. I guess now is as good a time to get up as any. Besides, no sense in wasting good daylight. The weekend never lasts as long as the rest of the week."

"Tell me about it."

"I brought a carton of eggs with us."

"And bacon?"

"And bacon."

"Bread for toast?"

"Yeah."

"Bisquick?"

"I'm going to have to start calling you Betty Crocker! Actually, I didn't bring any, but I think I saw some in one of the cupboards. I wonder if it's still good. Otherwise I guess I'll have to buy some..."

"I'll help get us setup."

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to need your help."

"No prob! This may be one of the few meals of the year I don't have any qualms about eating!"

"You know when your mom finds out what I let you eat for breakfast, there will be retribution."

"Liver and onions?"

"Definitely."

Tino took a deep breath, running a risk/benefit analysis in his head. "It's so worth it!" He said at length. 

Dixon smiled, sliding out of bed. "Just let me brush my teeth."

Will did not greet her as she sat upright in bed, stretching her arms out over her head in yawning. Odd. Oh, right, this wasn't her bedroom. Tish's yawn brought the scent of wood deep into her nostrils, instantly reminding her where she was. It had been awhile since she hadn't slept in the comfort of her own bed, but the accommodations in her cabin were more than adequate. She blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight. She frowned when her vision refused to clear, a battle she fought nearly every morning, then she fumbled about the nightstand for her glasses. Her hands brushed against a half-full glass of water, warm from being left out overnight. Moving on, she felt the smooth edges of the cheap necklace Tino had won for her the last time they had visited Tesla Park—it was a trinket she kept out of sentimental value. One of the best evenings of the past year. Lor had won a fried dough eating contest, Carver rang the bell on the strength tester, bringing his coolness factor up a notch or two, and Tino rode the Whip-A-Canoe twice in a row without spewing. Best of all, Tino had reluctantly agreed to accompany her on the Shakespeare ride, And Tish was overjoyed to see that he genuinely had a good time, and not just because she was there. Of course, there was the part where the ride broke down and they were caught in one of the tunnels for fifteen minutes. "Well, how else were we supposed to pass the time?" she muttered, blushing. "More importantly, why am I trying to justify myself to myself?" 

Tish felt her hand come into contact with a familiar thin, plastic edge. Success! Gently reaching out to get a solid grip, she deftly hoisted her sight off the stand and affixed it to her face. Ah, much better! She glanced to her right, finding the other bed empty. "Guess she got up already." Undaunted, Tish swung her legs out from under the sheets, planting her bare feet onto the floor. Her toes immediately flexed in surprise, the hardwood floor noticeably cooler than she was accustomed to. Coming to a standing position, she walked across the floor, past the double mirrors that stretched along the wall, over the length of the dresser. She took stock of herself, feeling a little silly in the very plain white nightshirt draped over her, which pleasantly  came all the way down to just above her knees. Releasing another yawn, Tish stepped into the bathroom to brush her teeth, a most unusual scent catching her nose as she stood at the sink. Breakfast? She shrugged, focusing on the task at hand before worrying about her morning consumption of mass quantities. After repeating the vigorous brush, rinse, and spit routine twice, Tish decided to venture into the kitchen to see just what would be on her plate that morning.

"Morning, Miss Tonitini. Making breakfast?"

"Oh, you're up already? Nice to see you, Tish. Did you sleep well?"

"Almost like being home. It's a little colder than I expected, though."

"Higher elevations."  
  


"Of course! I can't believe I didn't anticipate that. Oh well, it's only a few degrees. But my feet did notice." She giggled.

"Mine too. Like I said, it's been a long time since I've been out of the city. Now that Tino's older, maybe I should go away like this more often."

"You think so?"

"Well, being a single mother, I haven't done everything with him I'd like to. Pretty soon he'll be too old, be too involved with school, work...you." She winked.

"Gee, do you really think I could compete with you? You're his mom, and studies show, men are attached to their mothers."

"Oh, we get along pretty well, but I don't think you'll be competing with me too much. I've seen the way he is with you."

"You watch us?!"

"Relax!" Tino's mother laughed. "It's not like you're thinking. I just know my son. I saw you two in the car yesterday, he's very comfortable around you. And I think that's because you've already been very close friends, so there's much less friction. You're already comfortable with each other, you know what your respective likes and dislikes are. You don't have to impress each other. I'm going to be honest, relationships forged out of friendships usually end up very happy or miserable, not much of a middle. But you've already been together for a whole year, that's why I think you'll have a happy ending. I really admire the mature attitude you guys took, and I feel it will make all the difference. I'm sure there are plenty of girls in Bahia Bay, but I can honestly say that I think you're one of the best suited to Tino."

Tish wasn't really sure what to say in response. "Um...thanks. I'm sorry, I just...I never thought of it like that before."

"I just thought we should get it out in the open, so you wouldn't feel like I'm silently judging you all weekend. You're okay in my book. Now, you were asking me about breakfast?"

"Yeah." Tish blinked, trying to organize her thoughts. She looked into the pot Miss Tonitini was stirring on the stove, surprised at what she saw. "Is that...grass?"

"There's some in there, yes. Specially grown without any chemicals. But that's for flavor."

"Kind of like bay leaves?"

"A little more pungent, but yes." 

"That's....interesting." Tish spoke, a nip of hesitation in her voice.

"Don't worry, I know that you're a vegetarian, so rest assured I took that into account when thinking about what to cook this morning."

"Thanks. Tino's told me some pretty crazy stories about some of your delicacies."

Miss Tonitini smirked. "We mustn't be afraid to try new things!"

Lor's face felt warm. That was weird. Grimacing, her head lolled to the side in an effort to cease the sensation. The effect was not what she had hoped for. Hovering between sleep and consciousness, she rolled her entire body to the side. She came to a rude awakening when her legs suddenly lost all support, and she nearly fell off of the couch. Couch?

"Ooof!" Lor blinked several times in confusion, her mouth full of unpleasant morning breath. Her tongue felt heavy, like she had spent the night with a wad of cotton in her mouth. She felt a web of eye crispies begin to shatter with her blinking, the sun boring into her face.  She wondered how deep she had been out, but that question was the least of her worries when she looked up. Carver was sprawled across the couch, a thin stream of drool hovering on the corner of his mouth. Blushing slightly, Lor ran her left arm across her own mouth, removing any traces of her own drool. Guess they had stayed up too late watching Teen Canyon episodes and had passed out on the couch. Her hypothesis proved true as she looked towards the TV, where indeed, an episode of the show was still playing. There were worse things that could have happened. What immediately put her mind into overdrive was Carver's appearance. His hair was covered in whipped cream, with a cherry where his nose presumably was. Silly string had covered most of the remainder of his body. 

Involuntarily, she drew in a deep breath, then looked down at her own outfit. Lor bristled as she saw her favorite shirt had been a canvas for at least one of her brothers, who had chosen to work in a medium of ketchup and mustard. Fuming, she stood up, only to feel something brown and sticky begin to run down her face. Chocolate syrup? Someone was going to die.....

How could she have been so stupid? She knew better than to be vulnerable anywhere outside of her own room or the bathroom! Her brothers could smell weakness from several miles away. By sleeping out in the open, she had invited them to prey upon her and Carver. Lor's gaze fell downward to Carver's shoes, relieved to see that they appeared unscathed. She was certain that he would have been thoroughly traumatized had any harm come to them. 

Ignoring the mess that was her hair for the moment, Lor tried to shake Carver awake. "Carver? Hey, c'mon, wake up! We fell asleep on the couch!"

A drop of drool streamed down her friend's face in response to her shaking. Frustrated, she raised the boy's eyelids with her thumbs in an attempt to rouse him. "Carver! I'm being serious! Wake up now!"

"Wha? I'm awake! I'm awake! I'm.....ahh! I'm blind! I'm blind!" Carver cried. Lor laughed, wiping whipped cream away from his eyes. "I'm cured, I'm cured....is this whipped cream? What the heck is going on?"

"We fell asleep watching those episodes." Lor sighed. "It's kind of an unspoken rule in our house, letting your guard down outside of your own room or the bathroom is pretty much an invitation for, well, this." Lor indicated the mess of her shirt.

"Great....my shoes! Are my shoes okay?!!"

"Relax. They're fine, I already checked. It's a good thing my brother's don't know they're your weakness, otherwise they'd so be toast. Like my favorite shirt here?"

"You can't wash that?"

"I dunno. Do I look like I know how to do laundry?"

"Girl, it's simple you just need to get to know the magic of the Spotter."

"Spotter?"

"Yeah, it's this stuff you spray on your clothes when they get stained. It keeps the stains from setting in deep, so you don't have to wash them right away. So whenever your mom, or whoever does the laundry, gets to it, they'll still come out just fine. Trust me, I've used it on various pairs of shoes over the years."

"Um, thanks."

"I'll hook you up with some if we swing by my place. Which looks like it'll be a necessity, I can't walk around like this. I gotta take a shower."

"Yeah, I think I should consider one of those. And maybe I should change." Lor growled. "They are so going to get it!"

"Your brothers?"

"Yeah, who else would I be talking about?"

"Ah, forget them. Between the cash the lovebirds gave us and that thirty bucks we won of Laird last night, we're sitting pretty. I thought we were gonna find the perfect way to spend it today."

"Man, Tino's gonna be so jealous when he hears about how we sent Laird crying for his mama. It's too bad Hunter wasn't there too, we could've really cleaned up."

"Yeah, but we also needed to get away with the loot. I don't wanna get jumped outside of Funville."

"Good point. But still, Tino and Tish missed a real victory."

"Maybe we can make it happen again."

"Sh'ya, right! Didn't you see the crowd around our table last night? We were unstoppable. Dude, how come you and Tino never win? I mean, Tino's not THAT bad."

"I guess I never take the game too seriously when I play with him. Usually I just start messing around near the end."

"Well, I'm glad you stuck with it last night."

"For thirty bucks? You better believe it."

"Alright. I'm gonna go take a shower and get a change. Um, word of advice, don't let your guard down. I've got way too many brothers to keep track of, so there's no telling where they are. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

"I can handle it. Just don't be gone too long."

"Nah, I'll be quick. Don't worry."

Lor closed the door to the bathroom behind her, peeling off her sullied shirt and taking a long look in the mirror. Her hair was a total mess, and even her white undershirt had a few small stains where ketchup and mustard had managed to bleed through. Her jeans were wrinkled beyond belief, a casualty of sleeping in her clothes, and on the couch, no less. Sighing, Lor reached for the bottle of mouthwash, pouring some into a bathroom cup and using it to clear up her morning breath. Whilst rinsing, she had time to wonder how it was that the unpleasant taste of morning breath could only be defeated by the application of an equally unpleasant dose of mouthwash, which not only tasted bad, but stung to boot. Spitting the painfully minty solution out into the sink, she gazed into the mirror again. Frowning, Lor spread her palms out, rubbing them over her face. As she expected, there was no change. She was just as ugly as she was every other morning she came in here. Dark thoughts passed through her mind as she turned away from the looking glass that seemed to mock her; she quietly stripped down the rest of the way and began running water for her shower. It took a few moments to achieve the desired temperature. Satisfied, she stepped inside, closing the curtain in front of her as though it were the door to a prison cell.

Another week, another chapter, that seems to be the tradition at this point. You guys got so spoiled when I wasn't really working, and you got to see a new chapter every other day or so. Now you've got to make due with just the weekly doses. I know it's hard for some of you to wait that long, but I'm afraid it's all I can manage for the time being. I appreciate everyone's patience. 

Before it becomes a big bone of contention, I want to make one thing from this chapter painfully clear. I do NOT think that Lor is ugly. I'm trying to illustrate that Lor feels that she is ugly. I just want to get that out there so no Lor fans start hating on me. I don't personally think she's ugly at all, folks!  :)

As you may have noticed, this chapter was very heavy on description. There was a whole bunch of words but not much really happened. It was kind of an experiment on my part. I'm pleased with how it turned out, myself, but I'd really appreciate feedback on the more descriptive aspects, especially the whole Tish sequence, of course."

Wow, have I finally run out of things to say? Yeah, it looks that way. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, please take a moment to let the author know how he is doing. Even if you've already done so in the past. ^_^ In other news, I'm working on my commentary for the fourth chapter of the First Stage, hopefully I'll have that out in the very near future. If you're reading this story on Fanfiction.net, head over to the fanfic forum at The Weekenders Shrine for links to the commentaries that have been done so far, comments by Kaon, Blaster Bob, and yours truly. 

See you in seven days!

Lord Malachite

6/27/03

11:31 PM

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	6. Hunger

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Six

"Hunger"

Saturday

The front door of the cabin was thrown up quite suddenly, causing the men to stand frozen in place, stunned by the loud noise. What was more shocking was the figure revealed by the open door. A very haggard looking Tish lay sprawled across the wooden steps her pink shirt was severely wrinkled. Slowly, Tish crawled her way up and into the door she had used all her strength to release. Tish looked weak, her movements haunted by something Tino couldn't place. "Tish!" Tino cried when he saw her, running over to help his significant other. "What happened?!"

Tish's head came up at the sound of Tino's voice, but it was not the sight of her boyfriend that lifted the girl's spirits. It was the holy, glorious aroma wafting up from the griddle. Breathing in deep, Tish came to a standing position, then half walked, half floated to the stove. "Food!" the girl called, her face suddenly lighting up like the sun. 

"Well, that's what we call it." Dixon responded, flipping two of the pancakes he was making as Tish watched with rapt attention. Tino noted that Tish even eyed the sizzling bacon greedily. What on earth had happened to her?

"Tish?" Tino asked hesitantly, hoping that she was somewhat her normal self again. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, morning Tino. I'm okay. I'm just so hungry!"

"Uh-oh. Mom cooked, didn't she?"

Tish sighed. "If that's what you want to call it. I was....very divided. Your Mom is actually a very good cook, and it shows. It's just...my stomach isn't quite accustomed to...."

"Mom's style of cooking. I know. I mean, I'm used to it. Twice a day. She's such a health nut. She makes this weird stuff I've never even heard of. And believe me, it's never the same meal twice. She always has to try something new!"

"Always?"

"Always!"

"Actually, he's not exaggerating, Tish." Dixon broke in. "I've eaten plenty of meals at her home, and I've never had the same thing twice."

Tish nodded "My mom knows how to cook a lot of different things, but there's a limit. She typically has around 13 meals that she rotates, not counting special occasions, of course."

"Sounds heavenly." Tino replied.

Tish shrugged. "Um...I guess."

"So what did you do with my mom's breakfast?"

"Well, she finished hers real quick and went in to take a shower. While she was in there, I returned mine to nature, as it were. And then I snuck over here. I'm hungry!"

Dixon chuckled. "Ah, and you were hoping we two nights in shining armor would rescue you from your hunger?"

"Something like that."

"Hmm, I don't know.......what do you think, Tino?" Dixon winked at him, then lifted the two pancakes out of the pan, adding additional batter to prepare more.

"Gee, Tish, Dixon and I had our hearts set on eating a manly breakfast and talking about...manly stuff."

Tish's head dropped. "Oh. It's okay, I understand. I'll manage."

"Relax. We're just messing with you. Of course you can eat with us."

"You mean it?"

"Sure." Dixon smiled. "So long as you're willing to help. Tino's supposed to be scrambling eggs over there." He frowned at the still closed carton of eggs and the empty bowl sitting in front of the boy in question.

"Sorry." Tino apologized, pulling the carton towards him and getting to work. "Mind helping?"

"I'd be delighted." Tish sat down. They both reached for eggs. Tish softly banged hers on the lip of the bowl, then separated it, dropping the contents into the bowl and setting the shell on the table. Tino tried to follow suit, but he ended up getting a few pieces of shell inside. "First time?"

"Can you tell?" Tino sighed, reaching in and removing the offending fragments, thankful that they weren't too small. "I didn't know you did a lot of cooking, Tish. You're good at this."

"Actually, I don't. I'm good at separating eggs because we use them in my art class sometimes. In the kitchen, I only know how to make a few simple things. Eggs isn't really my forte. See, my mom tends to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, like yours, so I have really learned how to make much on my own yet." She giggled. "But I can bake a pretty mean cornbread! So, how are you guys cooking the eggs?"

"How about if I just make us a big cheese omelet and cut it into three pieces?" Dixon called.

"Works for me." Both teenagers replied in unison.

"Ha! Jinx! You owe me a Chug-A-Freez!" Tino pointed at the girl. Tish rolled her eyes at him, than resumed separating the eggs. "Party pooper."

"Oooh, she's a feisty one. She's breaking the rules." Dixon couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"I'm not buying him anything until he coughs up this present I've heard so much about."

"Sorry, he hasn't told me anything. It's a pretty well kept secret."

Tino smirked. "No weak links in this chain! Don't worry Tish. You'll get it tonight."

"I hope so! I normally consider myself a patient person, but you've really piqued my curiosity with this."

"I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"Nor do I." She smiled, standing up. Tish stepped over to the stove and passed the bowl full of eggs to Dixon. "Excuse me just a moment, I want to go straighten my shirt." She picked at it in distaste, noting the wrinkles, then passed through the kitchen to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, hi. Tish here. I have to admit, I wasn't always so confident with the idea of Tino and I. I won't deny that I was the one who initiated the whole thing. A year ago, I gave Tino a nudge, led him to me. At the time, I wasn't really sure why, but I've come to feel that it must have been the subconscious part of me. I remember that night, I wasn't really sure what I was doing. But at the same time, I felt so confident, and I had no idea where that confidence was coming from. And then, it happened. He kissed me. Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that we kissed each other. It was so incredible! I don't know how else to describe it to someone. It just felt so right. Even now, when he puts his hands on my shoulders, I always feel at ease. Sometimes I lie awake at night and wonder why. He'd always been Tino to me. Just Tino. One of my best friends. It's not like I had been seeing him in a whole new light or anything before that night. But the next day, I made him that silly wreath and asked him out, he accepted, and everything just fell into place. I'd never given it much thought before, but it all made sense to me once we had gone on a few dates. I understood why I had never really developed a crush of my own. All that time, I already had something else, something I still have, and I don't see it going away anytime soon. I wouldn't say that I had a crush on Tino. It's more like...a connection, I think. We're on the same wavelength, and I think that's something we've always shared. We understand each other. We're not alike in every way, and we don't expect that of one another. I guess you could say we're very content. Not everyone can say that about their relationships, so I try to remember that everyday. But now I wonder if things are going to change. It's still a little hard to believe that we've finally told Carver and Lor about us. I guess they took it about as well as could be expected. Carver seemed alright with it, but Lor looked a tad bit taken aback. But I guess I would be too if our roles were reversed. Tino and I have been very discrete since we started seeing each other last year. We wanted to be very careful, to protect our friendships at all costs. We were afraid that if we ever broke up, Carver and Lor would feel like they had to change sides. That's why we've worked so hard at keeping things simple, so that if we did have a break up, it wouldn't be nasty. I don't think that's going to be an issue anymore. Tino and I have really fallen into a rhythm. I find it's never difficult to say things to him, and I like to think he feels the same way towards me. I've seen a lot of turbulence in the various relationships that have come and gone in the Bahia Bay Middle School culture. Every time I see another chapter in one of those soap opera relationships unfolding, I think about us and feel so grateful that we aren't like that. We don't try to change each other, or get bogged down with unrealistic expectations. 

Tish frowned. "What?" She rolled her eyes, sighing. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you what you really want to hear! He's cute, I admit it! I remember this one time we were watching a movie at his house. We were on the sofa together. I was sitting on the end, Tino was lying across the other two cushions, stretched out. I had a pillow on my leg that Tino was resting his head on. He looked so adorable! I couldn't help it! I reached down and started playing with his hair! I think I really caught him off guard, because he seemed very surprised, but I could tell that he liked it. Ever since then, I twirl an end of his hair when I want to get a reaction out of him. He gets little goose bumps on his skin, it's adorable!" Tish started giggling rapidly, then got ahold of herself, clearing her throat. "But, that's enough of my secrets. My point is, I'm really excited. We still need to check on Carver and Lor when we get back, but I think they're going to be fine with this. And if they are, that means that Tino and I will have reached a new plateau. I feel a little like Tony in 'West Side Story.' I've got a premonition, something is going to happen. Something wonderful!" Tish lifted her arms into the air for illustration. Blinking, she slowly lowered them, then straightened her shirt, smoothing out all the wrinkles. Looking a little sheepish, she opened the bathroom door, stepping out into the world once more.

Warm water poured over Lor's face, instantly opening her pores. She tilted her head forward, letting the water soak her hair. She felt the sticky sensation begin to wash away almost immediately, and looking down she saw a steady brown stream flowing into the drain. As soon as the brown began to lighten in depth, she reached for a bottle of shampoo, ready to wash out whatever traces had been left behind. She squeezed a more than generous amount into her cupped palm, then lathered it into her hair, spending three times as long as she usually did with it. She didn't want to find she had missed any syrup and have to do the whole thing over again. After 4 minutes, she finally felt that it was safe to rinse. Lor furiously ran her hands through her hair as the water poured over it, making sure that ever follicle of her head was penetrated. Satisfied, she reached for the bar of soap, quickly cleansing the rest of her body, rinsing, and stepping out to dry off. 

Lor pulled her towel off the rack, wrapping it around herself. It clung to her, the bathroom had become quite humid and thick with water vapor. She raised the fabric so that it covered her hair completely, then vigorously rubbed at her hair to get as much excess water out as possible—already she was feeling a stream of water making its way down her back. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and stopped. Slowly, she lowered the towel away from her head, dropping it down past her shoulders. She felt detached from her body's movements. She watched herself tie it off across her chest, the rest falling down to just above her ankles and falling around the rest of her. She blinked, watching her reflection stare back at her, emulating every movement. 

The copy in the glass seemed off, somehow. Like it wasn't really her. Hesitantly, Lor reached an arm out towards it, her fingers extending towards the surface of the mirror. When the tips came in contact with the glass, she drew back. Shaking her head, she forced herself on, this time allowing her fingers to press against the surface. She spread them out, flattening her whole palm against the reflection's face. She felt vaguely relieved that skin did not great her, only the condensation on the glass that had settled there from her shower. She carefully drew her hand away, noting the large print she left behind. 

Lor's breathing became ragged, and she sagged to her knees. She felt like she was suffocating. Diving for the door, she opened it, breathing deep at the fresh air, her lungs clawing at the oxygen. She hoisted herself up and ran for her room, why wouldn't her legs move faster? She felt like she was running through molasses to get there. At length, the door to her room loomed in front of her. She fumbled with the doorknob several times before finally managing to push the door open. She thrust it closed behind her, leaning against it on the other side, breath coming in rasps. She felt her back inch it's way down the door, sliding down until her knees bent and her butt plopped onto the floor. Shaking, she began to weep openly. Why? What was happening to her? Despite feeling short of breath, she felt fine, physically. Yet emotionally, she felt like she had been through a wringer, and she couldn't for the life of her explain why. She clutched her hands to her head, shaking it back and forth in an effort to clear her thoughts. Nothing made any sense.

"Stop it!" she yelled, determined to get a grip on her reality. "Stop it. You are McQuarrie. You have....brothers, a family. You've got three best friends, one of them is waiting for you right now, Carver. Then there's Tish and.....Tino. Pull yourself together!" Lor stood up, insisting that she act on her own words. She didn't have time for teenage angst. She crossed over to her dresser, another mirror awaiting her. Somehow, this one seemed far less haunting. She took a quick look at herself, then paid the reflection no further attention, rummaging through her drawers for an outfit. She quickly yanked another undershirt out, then grabbed her blue and black shirt to go over it. Opening her bottom drawer, she took out a pair of blue jeans. Lastly, she opened the small drawer to the right and grabbed a fresh pair of socks and panties. She tugged at the towel, letting it fall to the floor, then quickly fit herself into the outfit, feeling strength return to her the instant she slid her left leg into the jeans. She stepped fully into them, pulling them up and fastening the button at the waist, tucking her undershirt inside. She then took hold of the black and blue shirt, smiling as she pulled it over her head. And slipped her arms through the sleeves. Pulling it all the way down to her waist, she took a look in the mirror once more, very pleased with the result. Amazing. Just putting on an outfit made her feel like herself again. Her confidence had returned. She took a deep breath, noting that there was no shakiness to it. She smiled, feeling every bit herself once more. Shaking her head so that her hair fell back down to her shoulders, Lor McQuarrie walked out of her room and back into the world.

"Sorry I took so long." Lor smiled at her friend as she returned to the living room in her fresh outfit, carrying a bag with her dirtied outfit in it. "I didn't mean to keep you." 

"Hey, it's no big." Carver returned her grin. "Bring your shirt?"

"Got it right here. Get any ideas on what to do with the money?"

"I figured maybe we'd just go down to the mall, buy us each some stuff we've had our eyes on for awhile. We're sitting on fifty bucks, that's $25, plus our allowances. This could be a spending day to remember."

"Like that time you bought those shoes to get in with Colby and Bree?"

"Hey, I told you. Those shoes were a business expense. A necessity. There is no way I could've gone without them. They were integral to my mission."

"So, whatever happened to them, anyway?"  
  


"What? Oh. I think they're in my closet somewhere."

"You gave up on them when the whole Colby and Bree thing didn't work out?"

"Well, I want to be cool, but I want it to be on my own terms. With the outfit those shoes went with, I couldn't pull it off. Either I'd have to hang with Colby and Bree, which would be a total drag, or I'd just come off as a poser, some loser trying to imitate them. No, those shoes aren't my ticket to the kind of coolness I want."

"So you're still looking?"

"Big time. I don't really know what it is, if it'll be a pair of shoes, or a jacket, or maybe just a shot and doing something unbelievably cool that will get me the recognition I deserve. It's just something that my radar is on the lookout for at all times. Do you have anything like that?"

"Not really. It's just not my style. I like to live day to day, seeing wherever life is gonna take me."

"That takes guts, to not have a confirmed direction like that."

"Well, I know what I like and don't like, so it's not like I'm just floating around in the breeze. I just don't like to feel boxed in, like I have to do this, or I must do that. That's not the way I want to go through life.

"Hey, it's cool, I can totally understand that. I mean, I have my own plans, but sometimes I feel like my parents are trying to force me into a mold. I hate that!"

"My folks don't really pay that much attention to me. I mean, I know they care, and they're usually there if I need them, but with all my brothers, y'know, they can't worry about me too much."

"Yeah, I thought it was hard being the middle kid in my family, but I can't even imagine what it must be like for you."

"Don't worry about it. I haven't met many people who could even begin to relate. It just makes you independent, you know? C'mon, we've got better things to do than analyze our home lives. Let's get to your place and get you cleaned up so we can go do something."

"Right....ohmygosh! I just realized! I never went home last night! And I never called or anything!"

"Whoa, dude, you're right! What if they called the cops or something?"

"You really think they did?"

"It's possible. But wait a sec, they would've checked here for you. They know we're friends. And since Tino's whole family is gone and they'd figure out you wouldn't be at Tish's since she's gone too....they probably knew you were here."

"Man, I hope so. I hope I'm not in any trouble!"

"Just to be safe, we should probably get you home in a hurry."

"Hey, I'm with you. Let's get out of here before my folks ground me until I'm in my twenties!"

"Then you'll never get your license."

"Tell me about it! Let's roll!"

They hurried out the front door, Lor mentally noting that none of her siblings had been lying in wait to ambush them. Maybe they figured that if they hit her again, the retribution would be too swift and horrid. Both teens hit the front walkway at a jog, quickly hitting the sidewalk and setting a rather hurried pace to Carver's house before the weekend became unsalvageable.

There were times when I was really worried that I wasn't going to get this chapter out on time. It was like I had everything working against me this week, as far as writing goes. As it is, I'm still only halfway through my next commentary and a buddy of mine has been waiting like 3 weeks for me to finish pre-reading something. Those two tasks will be worked on the instant I wrap up these author's notes. Once again, I continue to be amazed at the amount of people this story is reaching. Pleasantly surprised, I assure you. Thank you all for reviewing, Awakening may never have taken on as big a scope as it has if it weren't for you. As long as you folks are willing to keep coming back to this well, I'll be willing to fill your buckets. 

When I started working on this chapter, I had felt it was going to be mostly filler material, just advancing time a bit so that I could move into the much more eventful parts of the day. This all turned around for me very quickly, however. I finally got around to doing a Tish monologue, something several people have been requesting for some time but that I just hadn't gotten around to. I am a little disappointed that I couldn't get it to come out better, but I've never worked with Tish's character in this kind of format before, so don't be too harsh on me. I'll endeavor to do better next time. I had a terribly frustrating time deciding what to do with Lor this time, and then it finally came to me, and soon it was flowing out of my mind so quickly that my fingers had trouble keeping up. Upon taking a newer look at this chapter, my opinion of it has been considerably elevated. I no longer consider it filler material, which I think is a vast improvement, both for the audience and for myself. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really love writing this story. It's a complete and total pleasure, made all the sweeter by you wonderful folks who come back week after week. I promise you, you won't be bored!

One last note before I clear out of here, happy independence day to all my fellow Americans out there. This country may have a lot of problems, but we're still free to choose our own destiny. May it always be so.

Later days! Actually, that's a little inaccurate. It's passed the solstice now, the days are getting shorter. ^_^

Lord Malachite

7/4/03

3:39 PM

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	7. Waves

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Seven

"Waves"

Saturday

Tish sighed as she worked her way into her bathing suit, running her hands down the length of her person after she had it fixed into place. Strange, it felt slightly tighter than it had been when she'd used it last month. She grimaced at the prospect of having put on weight. It wasn't possible, she didn't eat THAT many chili cheese fries! "Guess I'm growing again." She murmured, making a mental not to look into getting a new bathing suit when she had the time to go shopping. Making sure she had her straps firmly fastened to her shoulders, she stepped out of the bathroom and began gathering anything she might need. She opened a drawer and pulled a plain purple T-Shirt out, throwing it over herself to help protect against sunburn when she wouldn't be swimming. She also saw fit to grab the large pink bath sheet out of her swimming bag, perfect for drying off or just generally soaking up some sun through various parts of the day. Lastly, she fished around inside the bag for her sunscreen. Getting a mild tan was okay, but she saw no reason to put herself at risk of skin cancer. Finding it, she threw the bottle on top of the towel and stepped into her sandals. She grinned as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, pleased at the mild increase to her height the footwear provided. She tossed the bath sheet over her should, and took the sunscreen in hand, still looking at her reflection. Carefully, she straightened her glasses, determined to make herself look as pleasing as possible. She giggled upon seeing the stupid grin on her face, then cleared the image and settled on something more effective, tossing her head back so that her long hair fell back into place. "Hot to trot." She winked, making her way towards the door. Each step very purposeful and calculated, as though her sandals had transformed into high heels. 

"So, you kids are going swimming?" asked Dixon as Tino emerged from the bathroom wearing his swim trunks. 

"Yeah, I figure it'll be fun. You know, Tish has never been in fresh water before. Unless you count a pool or water park, but this will be her first time for the real thing. Come to think of it, it's been ages since I've been to a fresh water lake like this."

"Bringing back those old childhood memories, eh?"

"Definitely. Fortunately, I thought ahead and packed a little something that I just know will score extra points."

"Do tell." 

Tino sauntered over to one of the many plastic bags he had brought with him from Bahia Bay, emptying its contents onto his bed. "I had almost forgotten, but then I remembered at the last minute. It's been a really long time since I used this stuff." A plethora of beach toys now lay in a pile on Tino's bed, specifically the kind meant for use in the sand. Buckets of various sizes, castle and tower molds, shovels, and even a scoop.

"She likes to play in the sand?"

"Trust me, she will here. It's a terribly uncool thing to do back home, but we're safe here. Besides, I know Tish, once I show her this, she'll want to do a scale model of some ancient city or other, I'm sure of it. But the best part about being here is fresh water. You can't make something as cool at home. Saltwater drains. Freshwater stays put if you dig a hole. So I figure we can make a simulation of Venice, or the Roman aqueducts, or something. 

"I'm duly impressed, Tino. You really know her likes and dislikes."

"I've known Tish a long time. She lives for this kind of stuff. When we had to make a diorama, she wanted to do ours life-sized. She came over to my place with blueprints and everything."

"Sounds intimidating."

"Tish doesn't do much without some sort of set plan. I've tried to encourage her to be a bit more spontaneous. It hasn't been a total loss. Sometimes she not only surprises me, but herself. I'm rather proud of that. Anyway, what are you going to do today?"

"I don't know, maybe rent a speedboat. Your mom said something about wanting to water ski."

"My mom said that?!" Tino looked shocked beyond belief.

"Hey, just because your mom and I are adults doesn't mean our lives our over, you know. I won't consider myself dead until I'm forty, thanks. And I plan on turning thirty-nine many times."  
  


"Yeah? Mom says the same thing!"

"Who do you think gave me the idea?"

"Ah! She's rubbing off on you, I see."

"I pity anyone who can hang out with your mom and not get infected with her good nature. And I like to think I was a pretty cool guy before I met her."

"Hey, you won't get any argument from me. You may be my best hope of convincing my friends of the incredible depth behind Captain Dreadnought."

"One step at a time, Tino. Speaking of which, you'd better not keep the girl waiting. Hey, what are you doing for lunch?"

"I figured we'd just grab something from that general store. You're cooking dinner, right?"

"I've got a cooler full of Omaha steaks. Oh, and two Gardenburgers for your date."

"You're not going to let mom doctor those up, are you?"

"No, but I can't promise she won't be bringing something to the table. Probably some kind of side dish."

Tino shrugged. "Can't win them all. I better run." Tino gathered up his beach toys and threw them back into his bag as best he could. Later days, Dixon. Seeya tonight."

"Seeya tonight, Tino." Dixon waved, watching the boy hop down the steps and to the other cabin where Tish was undoubtedly waiting. "Ah, the eagerness of youth."

"You made it!" Tish smiled, coming out onto the short walkway just as Tino was heading up it towards the front door of the cabin.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Tino grinned, blinking twice at the sight of Tish. She was a sight for sore eyes. Heck, she was a sight for any eyes. Tino didn't consider himself to be particularly hung up on appearances, but he knew what he liked. And he found his girlfriend to be more than pleasing. Apparently she had cleaned up real good after breakfast, because she appeared to be almost a completely different person. It was more than her being attractive. He considered it an honor to walk next to her. 

"What's in the bag?"

"Huh? Bag? Oh! The bag! I'll show you when we get onto the beach. Trust me, you'll like this a lot. Almost as much as what I'll give you later tonight. At least, I think. I could be wrong."

"I trust your judgment then. Shall we go?"

"I'm ready. Do you have everything you need?"

"Well, I brought myself a really big towel that we can lie down on and soak up a little sun, later. I also brought some sunscreen so we don't get burned to a crisp. I like the weather up here, it's cooler than back home."

"I'll have to remember that, maybe by you a cabin for our next anniversary."

Tish laughed. "Make it a big one."

"Yes ma'am!"

The walk to the beach was short and uneventful, populated mostly by Tish going over a decorating scheme for her future cabin. The beach itself wasn't very large, but the teens had little trouble carving out a spot to set up camp. Tish loosed her bath sheet, blanketing an area large enough for them both to sit on comfortably. After plunking himself down, Tino opened the bag and dumped the beach toys out between them.

"You brought beach toys?" Tish asked.

"Yeah, I haven't used these in a real long time. They're not really that much fun at the ocean, the sand isn't right and salt water drains. Plus I think it would be terminally uncool to be seen playing with them. But I figured that while we're up here, what the heck? See, I've got these cool little tower and castle molds, and plenty of buckets and shovels. When I was little, I used to make little cities and stuff with canals. I figured that maybe you would want to construct like a scale model of something. I had the idea last night before we left, I remembered how you had wanted to build that life-size pyramid last year. You even had blueprints and everything."

"Tino, you didn't have to go to so much trouble! I don't want to bore you..."

"Who's bored? I used to love playing in the sand! I guess I still do. Besides, we can still go swimming. We've got all day!"

"Can it wait? I want to get started on a city!"

"Really?"  
  
Tish nodded. "What do you think? What should we build?"

"I thought maybe we could do Venice. You know, build some blocks of building with canals in between."

"Now that sounds like a great idea, Tino."

"Okay, you start making some buildings and I'll dig some trenches and a hole for the water. We don't want to flood the canals until everything else is all set."

"You're experienced at this."

"My mom used to take me into the country for swimming a lot when I was pretty young. Those were in the days when my dad was still around. During the summer, while dad was at work, mom would get together with one of her friends and go to the beach. That's where I learned about this stuff."

"I never knew that about you."

Tino shrugged. "Guess it never came up. Oh! Here, you should probably use the special kind of sand to sculpt the buildings."

"Special."

"I'll show you, Tino said, shovel in hand, motioning for Tish to follow him down to the water's edge. "Here. See the sand where the waves kind of lap against the shore? That's the best building sand. It's damp, so it can be shaped well, but it's not all wet and mushy because it doesn't get soaked by the water."

"Wow." Tish blinked. "I mean, I never knew there were all these dynamics!"

"Not too much, really. I usually use this kind of sand to build with. And then I keep a big bucket of dry sand on hand for when a dam bursts. You just pour that over the hole and nine times out of ten, it's enough to plug the thing up. Other than that, it's just a case of having fun, building the kind of buildings you want, and seeing what kinds of twists and turns you can get away with in the canals."

"I think I can handle that part." She smiled. "Am I not an artist?"

"You most certainly are!" Tino smiled, watching as Tish  filled a bucket with the "special sand" and begin working artistically in a new medium.

Lor did not feel very comfortable as she sat quietly on the Descartes' sofa, taking her turn at waiting for a friend to make himself presentable for the day. She longed to be somewhere else, anywhere else, but she had her pride. Carver had waited on her, she owed him the return courtesy. The house was a bustle of activity. Carver's parents were each talking on their respective cell phones, no doubt coordinating business activities, despite it being a Saturday. Lor wondered whose bright idea it was to start considering Saturday a business day. If she ever found the moron who came up with that idea, she vowed to drag him into a village square and have him publicly flogged. Lor's ears pricked up at the sound of Todd's yelling, obviously he had found some new interest and was tearing around one of the other rooms. Lor hoped beyond hope that his parents weren't so distracted they had let the kid get hold of some sugar, otherwise she would take off, Carver or no. She'd already done her bit for king and country over a year ago. There wasn't enough money in the world to convince her to do it again, especially on her weekend. The low thrum of running water was coming from the bathroom, Carver was obviously following Lor's lead and cleaning up thoroughly. The only silent member of the household was Carver's sister, Penny, who most likely was barricaded in her room, or else gone completely by now. Lor hesitated for only a moment before deciding she didn't care less which was the case.

Lor sighed. Her hands ached for something to do, anything. A ceramic house lay on the coffee table, Lor reached out for it before scolding herself. The last time she had been bored in one of her friend's houses, she had managed to turn one of Tish's music boxes into a projectile launcher. Fortunately, Tish was usually very tolerant, plus she had been rather distracted at the time. She had had some sort of bug up her butt about finding a crush, so the music box was the least of her concerns. It was very...Tishy of her, Lor reasoned. She was a lot like Tino in that regard. When he got a bug up his butt, he thought of little else. Lor couldn't help but follow that train of thought to its logical conclusion; perhaps that was why the two of them had been seeing each other as more than friends for a whole year now. "And they kept it from us the entire time." She muttered darkly. It still upset her when she thought about it. Not that they had kept it a secret, but that they had been able to keep it a secret. Lor didn't pretend that she was the most perceptive person in the world, but she liked to think she knew her friends pretty well. The thought of something so big going on right under her nose was disturbing to say the least. And no matter how she sliced it, she had trouble with being happy for them. It still felt very unnatural to her somehow, like the two of them were breaking some kind of unwritten law. She felt it eat at her inside, but tried to be more reasonable about it. Carver didn't see anything wrong with it. They had never blown Carver or herself off to spend time together, save this weekend for their anniversary, but Lor begrudgingly admitted they had a right to do that. It was an anniversary. Really, they had a right to do whatever they wanted to do. If Tino and Tish wanted to get all mushy over each other, that was their business, not hers, right? Who was she to criticize them, or try to stand in their way. She didn't even have an emotional investment in the issue, and yet she couldn't stop thinking negative thoughts about their new relationship. "No, not new. It's already a year old." Lor reminded herself, sinking back into the couch in defeat. "Geez, when am I going to wrap my mind around this?" She feverishly ran her hands through her hair in frustration. 

"Okay Lor, chill out, everything's cool." She breathed deep, talking quietly to herself. "It's no big deal. Tino and Tish are dating. They're still you're best friends, they still like hanging with you. Nothing has changed for you." She found herself grabbing another lungful of air, feeling better than she had all morning. "That's better." She smirked, determined to hold onto her usual demeanor, she squashed lingering doubts under her mantra. Without warning, she stood up, tired of doing nothing with her body. She slowly paced the length of the room, trying to get a feel for the decor. She was by no means an artistic person, but she could tell that the Descartes' had taste. There was definitely a rich taste of middle upper class in the atmosphere, a stark contrast to Tino's home, which screamed out middle class, and Tish's, which was downright bizarre. That girl's parents had made up their home to resemble as much of the Old Country as possible, and it was filled to bursting with...stuff...not to mention Tish's mother was usually cooking up some old-fashioned meal in the kitchen. Her own home had rather sparse decorations, with all her brothers running around, knick-knacks would have an extremely short lifespan. 

Carver appeared from the hallway that emptied into the living room rather suddenly, taking Lor by surprise. "Dude, that was a lot quicker than I thought." Lor commented

"Really? I've been gone nearly a half hour." Carver informed her.

Had it really been that long? Lor silently chastised herself, deciding she needed to knock off the complicated mental reveries. They weren't her style anyway. "Anyway, you're lookin' good."

"I try." Carver smiled. "Man, I still can't believe my parents didn't flip when I didn't come home last night."

"Like we figured, they checked around. One of your folks must've called over looking for you, and someone told 'em you were at my place. I've got...I don't know, sixteen brothers or something, plus my parents. I'm sure someone was able to pick up the phone and tell them you were with me."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Still, I'd better be more careful. My parents were pretty forgiving because they're so busy this weekend, but if they weren't involved with their own stuff, they might've gone ballistic!"

"Guess we should just be thankful for small favors."

"Yeah. So, ready to go spend some bread?"

"You know it. Spending money is fun, but the idea of spending other people's money, oh yeah, that's living dude!"

"Tell me about it. Maybe we should go down to Funville tonight and see if we can rustle up a few more dollars. I'm sure there's someone down there that'll play us."

Lor laughed. "Tino and Tish wouldn't approve."

"Yeah, but they're not here to stop us. We've got the will, we've got the skills, I say we go for it."

  
"For a second there, I thought you were about to break into a cheer."

"Ha ha, very funny. So are we getting out of here or what?"

"Yeah, let's hit it." Lor acknowledged. "We're burning weekend."

I've said this before, but here it is again. Another week, another chapter. Some weeks these come easier than others. This was another one of those tough weeks where I got a late start and generally wasn't certain if I could meet my usual deadline. Fortunately, in the end, I triumphed. I have a way of doing that when things seem bleakest, and I chalk it up to the much beloved support I get from all the fans. You guys and gals really keep me going with the steady stream of praise and requests for me to continue. And that's part of what keeps me coming back to this week in and week out. There are other more personal reasons, which I'll address in the commentaries. By the by, I am still working on those. I meant to have one for Chapter 4 of the First Stage available by now, but working 43 hours a week, maintaining a life online, trying to keep up some semblance of a personal life, AND writing this story combine to make it very difficult for me to have even a small amount of time left over. What extra time I do have is dedicated to such frivolous pursuits as sleeping.

At any rate, I have once again unleashed upon the world a few more hours in the lives of these four youths. You keep reading them, I'll keep writing them. Fanfiction may not constitute new episodes of the series, but it's all we have, and I'm proud to be one of the providers for this show. Great series, great fans. 

I guess that about wraps things up for this outing. Meet me back here in 168 hours and we'll do it again.

Lord Malachite

6/11/03            

11:24 PM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	8. Surprises

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Eight

"Surprises"

Saturday

The city of Venice stretched out in the afternoon sun, its blocks of buildings standing proudly. Many had been outfitted with makeshift decorations. Cheese Bonkies dotted the roofs of some buildings, while their chocolate counterparts made do for others. Bridges spanned across a few of the currently empty canals, carefully supported and structured to withstand the flow of water. The fabled Venetian canals were dry at the moment, the final piece of the puzzle being saved for last. A rather deep hold, filled to capacity with water that had taken the two teens nearly an hour to fetch, bucket by bucket, loomed over the city, ready to flood the streets and render the imitation complete.

The architects themselves were in the lake beyond, splashing happily through its waters, darting to and fro as water often invited young people to. A figure gracefully broke the surface of the water, long hair trailing behind her head, falling limply around her in clumps as the proper effects of gravity were restored. 

"I knew I should've tied my hair up!" exclaimed Tish as she peeled her strands of her hair off he face."

"I don't know, I kind of like it this way." Tino offered. "You look too severe when it's pulled back too tight."

"Severe?!" She looked shocked at Tino's statement.

"Yes, you heard me. Severe."

Tish planted her feet on the floor of the lake, water coming up to the area between her neck and chest, arms crossed over her breasts in defiance. "I can't believe you just said I look severe!"

"Only when your hair is tied back really tight!" Tino tried to relent. "C'mon, Tish, you know I love your hair."

"Says the boy who just referred to it as severe. Or should I just be grateful that there's something about me you love?" Tish cocked an eyebrow at her significant other, Tino felt as though she were standing in judgment over him. Perhaps she was. Tino didn't think he'd ever understand women. Carver got them, Dixon always knew what to say, but Tino knew he was clueless. 

"Oh come on, don't look at me like that. You know perfectly well how I meant it!"

"Maybe so, but it still wasn't easy to hear. You really think I look severe sometimes?"

"Tish, your hair looks great when you just let it flow. Don't try to restrain it. It's a part of who you are. And I think we both know you're a free spirit. I've seen your art, I've seen you perform, I've seen some of the things you've written for English class. You do things your own way. You don't inhibit yourself, you go the distance."

"So you're saying you like it when I leave my hair down?"

"Very much so."

"Is this a request?"

"Just a suggestion."

She leaned towards the boy, smiling. "What if I put it in braids?"

"Can I tug on them?"

"Nope."

"You're no fun."

"First you say I'm severe, and now that I'm not any fun! Keep it up and this will  be our first and last anniversary!"

"Oh, this isn't fair! You set me up!"

"Did I?" She asked teasingly, splashing water in his direction.

"Okay, what's with the strange mood?"

"I don't know. I guess you just bring out the best in me." She laughed. 

Tino laughed. "You really are a piece of work."

"Who, me?" Tish mocked ignorance.

"Yes, you, Pedratishkovna Katsufrakis!"

"Oooh, it's been awhile since you've called me that."

"You make me absolutely crazy sometimes!" Tino stamped a foot into the dirt, a cloud of it spreading around the water immediately surrounding it. 

"If I didn't, we'd never have these wonderful little moments, now would we?"

"Okay, that's it. You're up to something, aren't you?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? But suffice to say that you're not the only one with a surprise this weekend."

"Oh yeah, check this one out!" Lor hollered at Carver. She strutted out of the dressing room. Carver looked Lor up and down as she modeled her prospective outfit. 

"What kind of look are you going for?"

"Carver, don't you think I'd look great as one of the UCONN women?"

"Ah, Lor McQuarrie, basketball sensation, eh?"

"I don't find it much of a stretch." 

"Yeah, I think that's a part you'd fit into nicely."

"I haven't decided if I'd want to go all out for basketball yet, though. I mean, there's other sports I like to play. Maybe I should join a soccer team when we get into high school next year."

"What about me, do you think I should go out for anything?"

"I don't know. Do they have a shoe club?"

"Probably not, but that's a great idea, Lor! I could start up my own club just for shoe fanciers like me!"

"Great. Then you can team up with Tino. He can start up a Captain Dreadnought club and together you'd have two members."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking when I came up with it." Lor looked down at her once again, nodding at the #11 on her back that she could see in the mirror on the door. "I don't know. I think I look good in this, but jerseys aren't really my thing when I'm not on the court. Besides, I don't want to get too involved. I want to compete in the Scottish Games someday. Oh, I've got to get Dixon to give me some training, I still can't believe he's actually been in them. How cool is that?"

"Oh. Yeah. It's cool." Carver responded unenthusiastically. "But it's not as cool as having designed shoes for Tommy Hugo. Now that makes the man a true idol."

"What? Don't make me laugh! Competing in the Scottish Games is way harder than designing some footwear. Where's the brute physical strength? The months of training? The crowds chanting your name as you hurl a log the size of a telephone pole several feet."

"Oh, c'mon, you can see Arnold Schwarzenegger do that in a movie. Sure you might get some applause, but that's not going to last. When you design a truly exquisite pair of shoes, it's something that people will remember forever. Something they'll wear and pride, and they'll think about you every time they put those babies on."

"Carver, there are times I just don't get you." Lor's arms dropped to the sides.

"Back at you. But we're still friends. Maybe that's what friendship is all about." He smirked.

"And here I thought it was about buying each other chili fries and Chug-A-Freezes. Speaking of which, it's your turn, I believe."

"What? No way! I bought you a Chug-A-Freeze last night! It's your turn."

"That doesn't count. We were settling a bet. Bets don't count as standard buys. It's your turn."

"Somehow I feel like I'm getting hosed."

"Dude, it's not like it's money out of your own pocket anyway. Just take it from the bank of Tish and Tino. Or Laird." Lor shrugged. "Doesn't really matter which one."

"I guess that's true. You gonna buy that outfit?"

"Nah. Not today anyway. I do like how it looks, but I don't know if I'll wear it enough."

Okay. I'll pick up the snacks and grab a seat in the food court, you meet me out there after you change back."

"Gotcha." Carver turned and walked off down the aisle towards the front of the store, while Lor turned on her heel and retreated back into the ladies' dressing room. Once inside, she realized she was alone with the mirror again. She stuck her tongue out at it in defiance, gripping her more familiar attire tightly. Nothing could touch her if she didn't let it.

Dixon scurried up the rough incline, hoisting himself up over one of the larger rocks that lay in his path, digging from foothold to foothold. He kept his walking stick ready to dig into the next patch of free ground. Satisfied, with his progress and his position, he turned around to help Miss Tonitini up the rock as well. 

"Maybe I'm not in quite as good shape as I thought." She admitted as she gladly took Dixon's proffered hand and scrambled up the rock. "Either that, or is this trail is just a heck of a lot tougher than it looks."

"Nonsense." Dixon laughed. "We both know you're in wondrous shape. I think it's just a case of our older bodies trying to keep up with our younger spirits."

"And failing miserably."

"Speak for yourself." Dixon smirked. "Honestly though, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Immensely. I was just telling Tish last night that I don't get out of the city enough. This is just the kind of change I needed."

"Good, because I thought maybe we could stay up here and watch the sunset."

"What about the kids?"

"I think they can take care of themselves."

Miss Tonitini laughed. "Obviously you haven't spent that much time around my son."

Dixon grimaced. "Okay, then Tish can take care of both of them."

"Mmm, yeah, that sounds about right. That girl is remarkably mature for her age."

"And very well-versed. I've thought about asking her to join Great Books, at least during the summer. I think she can really benefit from it. I'd talk to her about it now, but I don't want to interrupt her education. After the school year is finished. That is, if her parents say it's okay."

"They let you and I take her away for an entire weekend. Somehow, I doubt they'll have qualms about you taking her to a book club once a week. But you're right, you should ask."

"It's all part of being a gentleman. Although now that I think about it, maybe I should take Tino too. If you think he could keep up, that is."

"Keep up?"

"Would he be willing to read material every week?"

"Well, he's certainly capable. I think he would if he had incentive. Sweeping his girlfriend off into that would probably be enough. I think that as long as Tino has plenty of time to hang with his friends, he won't mind at all. I'll talk to him about it, but I think he would be interested. I must say, it's nice to see you take that kind of interest."

Dixon shrugged. "I like kids. Remember when we first went out? I spent an entire day with their whole group down at Helpers Helping The Helpless. I had something in common with each of them. And let me tell you, I really liked interacting with them. They're good kids. These days you hear too many horror stories about kids bringing guns to school, or getting into drugs, and even pregnancies among kids as young as Tino and the others. So when I see a group of young people that are so well-meaning, I want to do something for them. 

"Okay, if you're trying to score extra points with me, you're batting 1.000 so far."

Dixon smiled. "I guess I just want to do my part to make the world a better place for our kids. I look at my daughter Moira and I'm proud of her. But at the same time, I want her to have a better life than me. Not that I'm complaining about my life. I'm pretty happy about how it's turned out. Maybe it's just something all we parents wish for."

"I know exactly what you mean."

Dixon sat down on the rock, legs dangling over the edge of it. He motioned for his companion to join him. "May I ask you a very personal question."

"You can ask." She smiled. "Maybe I'll even answer."

"When you think back on your marriage and divorce...if you had it to do all over again, would you still marry him? Even if you knew it wasn't going to work out."

"Wow, you really cut right to the chase."

"I don't mean to pry, really."

"No, it's alright. It's not that I'm afraid to tell you, just that it isn't easy to answer. My ex-husband and I....our divorce really wasn't all that bad. One night he and I just realized that we weren't in love with each other anymore. We didn't hate each other. He wasn't cheating on me or being abusive. We just didn't really feel the same anymore. When I think about him now, I get....it's a very weird feeling. Like I'm fond of him in some ways, but I don't want to have that kind of relationship with him again. I know I'm very lucky. Most divorces don't go so amiably. To be honest, I do wish we Tino saw more of his father. I do my best with him and he knows that. But there are some things that really require a good male role model, just like there's others that require a good female one. Someday he's going to have to learn how to shave, you know." She smiled.

"Oh, I can teach him that."

"You really are a good, positive role model for him."

"You flatter me. So if you could go back in time..."

Miss Tonitini nodded. "I would do it again, yes. Even though some things would be hard, when I look at my son, I always smile. And if it weren't for my ex-husband, I wouldn't have him. So, what about you? Would you change things?"

"You know, you make a very good point. My marriage wasn't all that easy. I loved my wife very much. A part of me still does. But you just can't make someone else love you, no matter how hard you try." Tino's mother nodded solemnly at Dixon's confession. He took her hand. "That's why I'm glad I met you. Maybe it's a second chance." He held up his free hand to stave off questions. "Relax, I'm not asking you to marry me. Right now, I'm kind of happy the way things are. But I won't lie, I maybe interested in the future."

She smiled coyly at him. "Well then, I guess you'll just have to take your chances when the time comes and find out whether or not I'll say yes."

"Don't I even get a hint?"

"Where would the surprise be in that?!"

"Ready?" Tino asked.

"Ready. On three." 

Tino nodded, then he and Tish synchronized. "One.....two.....three!" They called in unison, scooping away the dam and unleashing the waters through their scale model of Venice. The water flowed rapidly through the intersecting canals, being directed and redirected around buildings as it splashed down the incline to rejoin the lake it had came from. Both of the teens nodded in satisfaction as the fruits of their labor were displayed. Not a building threatened to give way, they had coordinated their efforts to keep the impact of the water from eroding the foundations. 

"Someday I'd sure like to visit the real thing." Tish smiled as the water continued to pour forth from the giant well they had made at the top of the project.

"Want me to take you?"

"Don't tease!" Tish laughed.

"Who's teasing? If you want to go, I'll take you. Eventually. It should only take me, what, 20 years if I save my allowance for every week."

"Maybe only ten if I pitch mine in." She giggled.

"Or maybe I can get a job that lets me travel. Then I can go all over the world and bring you with me."

"Yeah, but you'd be so busy working I'd never get to see you."

"Right." Tino sighed. "There's got to be a way!"

"It's not that important, Tino. We can just put it on a list of things we want to do someday."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Trust me, I'd much rather live in the here and now."

"Tish, this weekend is going by entirely too fast."

"I know. They all do, don't they. Except maybe that time we were babysitting Todd. Or when we couldn't seem to have a good time no matter how we tried. And then there was that time..."

"Right, right." Tino accepted. "But overall...."  
  


"....They go by too fast. Days of our childhood gone by."

"We're 13, Tish. I woke up the other morning and realized that there are fewer days ahead to our childhood than there are behind."

"Our youth is what we make of it, Tino." Tish sighed. "Much like our lives. The greatest treasure is to be able to live in an individual moment and know that there's no place you'd rather be at that moment in time."

"Like now?" Tino smiled, back half turned to the girl as he watched the last of the water enter the city.

"Especially now." Tish threw her arms around his neck, running one of her bare feet over his own. She surveyed the city they had spent the afternoon together, reflecting on each trench they had dug, each block of buildings they had worked on, each bucket of water they had carried to make it complete. "We did it all with our own two hands, Tino." 

"With a little assistance from my beach toys, that is." They laughed together. "That's why I wanted to do it. I knew you would like the idea of reconstructing a city, but I really wanted to build something together, just the two of us. Like that diorama we made last year."

"This was better. We did it because we wanted to."

"We did, didn't we?" One of her arms worked it's way down his back, drawing immense satisfaction from each of them. "What are you thinking right now?"

"About what you said. Knowing there's no place you'd rather be in a single moment."

"I couldn't agree more." Tish slowly pushed Tino down until he was sitting on the bath sheet. She brought herself around to his side and sat next to him. A soft breeze wafted in from the water, washing over them both.

"We'll have to get back soon."

Tish nodded slightly. "You know, a moment can be like a universe of its own, one that stretches out into its own eternity if you explore it to its fullest."

Tino stretched out along the sheet and settled in. "Then let's go exploring."

My schedule this week got all twisted around, and I even ended up doing writing for someone else instead of my own story. What you've just read was written entirely in one afternoon. I didn't think I had any hope of getting it all done in time. I assumed that you would all have to live through a depressingly short chapter this week. Instead, I ended up with a strikingly larger chapter. At least as far as the paging goes. It was almost entirely dialogue, which does pad the file a bit. 

I touched on a lot of different things in this chapter, but I wouldn't call any segment of it more important than another. I especially wanted to do something with Dixon and Tino's mother by themselves, I really felt it was high time. I also tried to do something a little special with Tino and Tish here, show them at opposite ends of the spectrum, one very playful, the other markedly sweet and into one another. That's why I used them as bookends for the rest of the piece.

Anywho, enough on that, if you like hearing about that sort of thing, read the commentaries I create. If you enjoy this story and would like to discuss it with myself and other fans, please direct yourself to:

Here, Kaon has set up a forum to discuss my "Awakening", Harlequin's "Weekenders In High School," and a fic of his own he is currently working on. We'd all love to hear from you, so do drop by. In the mean time, read and review, and contact me directly if you feel so moved.

Lord Malachite

7/20/03

2:57 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	9. Romance, Part I

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Nine

"Romance, Part I"

Saturday

The walk back to the cabin was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Tino felt like speaking might ruin the current mood, a feeling Tish seemed to pick up on and reciprocate. Things were going better than ever expected. Tino reveled in the thought, he and Tish had truly been lost in that moment back on the beach, having reached a plateau of sorts. They often were comfortable just being together, but he couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful that moment had felt. It was so different than anything physical they could share, extremely unique, but no less pleasant. Little glances he occasionally snuck at Tish indicated that she was feeling pretty good herself, if that look on her face was any indication. She brought her hand down to join it with his own, and he offered no resistance. 

"I'm just going to go change out of this and into something more comfortable." Tish grinned. "I'll be back soon."

"Something more comfortable?"

Tish laughed. "Don't get funny ideas! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Hey, you're the one who said 'something more comfortable,' not me."

"You'll just have to wait and see, I guess." Tish decided she'd better drop the matter before she ended up sounding like Mae West.

"I think I'll change myself. Come on over when you're done. Dixon's going to barbeque. Real Omaha Steaks! He brought some Gardenburgers for you, though."

"Thanks. I won't be long!" 

Inside the cabin, Tino pulled a green shirt and blue shorts out of a drawer, slipping quickly into the bathroom to peel out of his damp clothes. The feeling of having something dry on his skin was quite nice, he found. He also found his stomach to be rumbling rather well. "Right, we skipped lunch." Tino sighed, remembering that he had had previous plans to grab a snack from the general store. It seemed that their work on a beachside reproduction of Venice had been far more seductive, plus they had managed to spend a fair amount of time in the water. 

Tino emerged feeling slightly renewed, though it was hard to compete with the feeling of the quiet moments he and Tish had already shared on this trip. Through all of it, though, he felt as though something were still missing. Like there was something he should say. Sighing, Tino shook his head to clear it. There really wasn't anything he could say to her to explain it. Only now was he beginning to understand how complicated romance really is. The differences between men and women, aside from the obvious physical attributes, proved extensive. Extensive, but certainly not insurmountable. It was rare when he felt like he didn't know what to say to Tish, how to communicate with her. She made such a good friend and significant other that it was hard to imagine not being able to talk to her. He could count on Tish to be a sounding board. It was even better when she had advice. Much different than when his mother gave him an idea on what to do, she just provided a view that needed to be considered, that of an eighth grade woman. She could always be counted on, although he noticed she often told him to heed his mother's advice. The power of Mom was indeed not to be trifled with."

"Dixon, what's the ETA on dinner?" Tino asked watching as the sun continued to sink below the horizon.

"Well, I didn't want to start cooking before you kids got back. That, and I was a little.....preoccupied."

"You were with Mom, weren't you?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I did come up here this weekend with her in mind." Dixon smiled. "But I thought bringing you and your girlfriend to this place might provide you with some memorable times."

"Oh, and it has. Man, if you only.....well, um, you get the idea."

"Well enough."

"Hey, Dixon? Teach me about romance?"

"Romance? Tino, that's not something you can really teach. It's not a skill. I mean, sure, you can be romantic. But romance itself? It's spontaneous, something that has to come from both you and the woman you care for. I can give you a little bit of advice, if you like. But I thought you were doing pretty well on your own."

"It's not that, I just...things seem different all of a sudden, you know? Not in a bad way, but...I feel like there's something I should be telling her that I'm not. But I can't think of what it is. It's frustrating!"

"No, it's normal. Look, Tino, you should just stick with the truth. Tell her how much you enjoy being with her. Remind her. Reassure her. Deep down, we all love to be reassured about things like that. And above all else, just be honest with her. I really don't think you have anything to worry about."

"How did you learn so much about women?"

"A little bit of time, and a lotta bit of patience. Really, I don't know all that much. I just look like I do from your point of view."

"Fair enough. So, where's mom?"

"She said something about a seaweed casserole." 

"Aww man!"

Tish twirled about in the mirror, smoothing out her fresh outfit. Pink seemed to go well with her lately, along with a pair of purple shorts and her sandals to complete the look. Nothing all that special, she felt it would more than suffice. Besides, she hadn't been lying to Tino. It was comfortable! She flopped backwards onto the bed, feeling content. Life was definitely good. At least as far as this weekend was concerned. Noises coming from the kitchen grabbed her attention, and she hoisted herself off her bed to go see what was going on. Miss Katsufrakis was treated to the sight of Tino's mother chopping...something...at amazing speeds, just like one of those instructional cooking programs on television. Twin knives impacted the cutting board in flurries, and some sort of green leaf was being shredded before her eyes. Once the older woman set the knives down on the counter, Tish walked over in contemplation. "What are you making?"

"Seaweed casserole." 

"I beg your pardon?"

"Casserole. Stuffed with seaweed. And some other good stuff?"

"Seaweed?"

"It's very good for the heart."

"Yeah, but is it good for my stomach?"

"Certainly better than anything you'd get at the Snack Shack."

"Ouch. Point for you, the Snack Shack is NOT a place to go if you're on a diet. If you were locked in there, you'd probably die of malnutrition in a few weeks, despite having food available."

"Exactly. As a single mother, it's my responsibility to provide healthy, wholesome meals to my son until he's old enough to move out and start eating all sorts of junk that is nukeable until he gets married."

"Wow, you've really got this figured out."

"I've just seen it happen one too many times. So what's on your mind?"

"Can I ask you a strange question?"

"Won't be the first one I've been asked today. How can I help?"

"What do you think of Tino? I mean, I know he's your son, but how do you see him, aside from that?"

"That's not an easy question to answer."

"I understand."

"I tend to think of him as a little nervous and needy, but really quite capable. Tino just needs a lot of reassurances. But at the same time, he can be a leader when he wants to. He's squeamish about some things but macho about others. To be honest, my son really isn't all that easy to figure out. He's full of idiosyncrasies, but I like him for who he is. Not just because I gave birth to him, although you'd be surprised at the effect that can have on you. Someday, I hope you'll understand that. Anyway, I guess what I like the most about Tino is that he's almost always honest, and usually he'll speak his mind to his friends. Even to me."

"Thanks. I just wanted to know what you really think, beyond the parent thing. I think he's really....it's hard. He engenders a lot of trust, you know. He's usually really thoughtful of me, but almost never in a smothering kind of way. When I look at him, I can still see him as my friend, not just my boyfriend, and I'm really happy about that. We don't agree on everything, but I think I'm better for knowing him. Does that make any sense at all?"

"I think it makes perfect sense. Like I said before, you have all the permission you might be looking for from me. I'm glad you two are able to talk so much. My advice is to hold onto that, because it's worth holding onto, let me tell you. It's things like that you'll remember years from now, even if you and Tino aren't always an item."

"I will." Tish nodded.

"Good. Now, why don't you go find him while I finish up over here. Once I'm done, I'll be coming by the boys' cabin for dinner."

"See you there!" Tish called, trotting out the door.

"Understanding my son is one thing." Miss Tonitini grinned. "Understanding men, now therein lies the real challenge."

Dinner went much better than anticipated, in spite of the seaweed casserole. Meat, Tino decided, was good. Specifically, meat that seemed pure and tasted fresh and safe. Meat that came from something that he wasn't emotionally attached to. Say, for instance, a certain ostrich named Jimmy.

Tish didn't seem to have any complaints with her meal. She even offered Tino a bite from one of her Gardenburgers, which Tino surprisingly found to have a tangy taste, not entirely unlikable. Certainly not enough for him to take after Tish's vegetarian ways, but he felt that he could definitely eat one if it were served to him at someone's house. 

Little was said as the four of them ate their meal, each preferring mastication to conversation. The day's physical activity had left them all with a hunger that seemed nigh insatiable. The speed with which Dixon had ingested his steak was staggering, to say the least. Tino mentally forced himself to slow down before he made himself sick. Still, it took some effort. He wasn't entirely certain, but he thought he could hear Tish humming bars of  "Food, Glorious Food" between bites from her burger and casserole. Perhaps they should have packed something to eat that afternoon. Tino made a not to let this happen again.

Fortunately, dining al fresco with paper plates and plastic utensils made for an easy cleanup. Tino excused himself, stepping into his cabin and rooting around under the bed. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out the simply wrapped package, momentarily forgetting its weight. He half dropped it onto the bed, now looking for some citronella candles to complete the setup. Finding Dixon's stash lying beside a cooler, Tino grabbed two of the bucket type, along with a campfire lighter.

Tish appeared in the doorway, looking slightly perplexed. "What's going on?" she asked, seeing Tino running around the cabin as though he was on a short timer.

"Huh? Tish! Hey, you're just in time. I'm preparing for tonight. Want to help?"

"What am I doing?"

"Would you mind carrying these candles? This gift is kind of heavy."

"May I open it now?" Tish asked energetically.

"Not quite. Almost. As son as we get down to the dock."

"Okay." Tish agreed, picking up both buckets. Tino grabbed a nearby bag from the general store so they could pack out their trash, then hoisted the gift off the bed, lighter grasped between a few fingers. "So, the dock, huh? What do you have planned?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." Tino grinned.

"You know, you really have a way of driving me crazy!"

Tino laughed. "Tish, you say that as though you don't have a PHD in doing the same thing to me!"

"Yes, but that's different. It's expected of me." Tish smiled. "You know you love it when I drive you up the wall. You need me to keep you on your toes."

"Oh? And here I thought it was my job to sweep you off your feet."

"Who said it wasn't?"

"Well, how am I doing so far? Because you're doing a superb job of making me absolutely crazy so far, Tish."

"Be patient, Tino." She grinned at him, shifting both candles to one hand and patting the boy on the head with her now free one. "I haven't finished with you yet."

"Okay, I'm not sure if that was supposed to be sweet, or just creepy."

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

They walked out the door of the cabin, heading down towards the beach and the dock where people fished and small boats and canoes were launched. Tino stood aside during the walk, contemplatively. "Okay, you guys just saw that too, right? Did Tish just own me back there? I'm not really sure, but she's got that look on her face, see?!" Tino snuck a glance over a Tish, who indeed wore an extremely satisfied expression. "And what's worse is, I think I kind of like it. I've never heard her talk to me in a possessive kind of way before. Oh man, this is kind of weird, but it's also exciting. I'm not sure what to do! You know, all I really want is to make Tish happy, at least as long as I'm with her. She's so much fun, and so supportive, but most of all, she really understands who I am, and she treats me right. She's still a really good friend on top of being my girlfriend, so I feel responsible to her. I want her to believe in me."

Tino turned back towards his date as they approached the dock, which was segregated and to the right of the swimming area they had utilized earlier in the day. It was rather poorly lit, and both teens were grateful they had brought the candles as a source of light as much as they were for keeping the insects at bay. A nearly full moon did hang in the sky, but a slowly moving cloud obscured the view and dimmed the night to a lower level than it would otherwise have been. 

They stepped out onto the wooden structure, only a slight creak sounding as they worked their way towards the end. Tino sat on the edge, dangling his legs off the side, his feet hovering just above the surface of the water. Tish took her place beside him, setting the candles down between them. Tino handed the gift to Tish, who waited with as much patience as she could muster while Tino lit both candles, instantly adding a warm glow to the immediate area.

"Much better." Tino sighed, releasing the trigger of the lighter and letting the flame go out. "Now we'll see well and be bug free."

"Ah, the wonders of modern man." Tish giggled. "Okay, so, I'm going to open this now. I've only been waiting forever!"

"Just remember. I got this because I wanted to share it with you."

"Alright." She smiled warmly at him, digging into a corner of the wrapping with her nails. "Let's see exactly what you had in mind here."

"Oh, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." He watched in admiration as Tish ran her finger down the length of the paper's seam, slowly opening the gift without tearing through the paper.

"Wow, I expected you to just tear into this thing!"

"I figured you might want to use this again, sometime."

"That's a kind thought, but no."

"Even so, this way it kind of preserves the integrity of you work." Tish unfolded both corners, then tipped package to the side, its contents slowly sliding out the end she had worked open. "Is this a book?"

"You'll see."

Tish was able to pull the rest of the paper free without ruining it. She set it behind her, Tino grabbed it and tossed it into the bag he had brought. Tish felt, as well as smelled, the leather-bound book in her hands as she held it into the light coming from the candles. "The Collected Works of William Shakespeare?!" Tino, this is so sweet, but you know I've already got what's in here covered in my library."

"I know. Let me explain. See, at first, I really I had no idea what to get you for this anniversary. I wanted it to be something that you would not only like, but remember years from now. I went down to the library and asked from advice from the librarians who know you pretty well, I asked what they thought you would really like. They told me you were really into Shakespeare and other classical works, which of course I knew. And that was when the idea came to me. I never really looked into most of these things. So I went down to the bookstore and asked around for the best book they had which featured everything that Shakespeare had written. I thumbed through it, so many plays....and then behind them, I found this huge stash of poetry. I brought it up to the information desk and asked them to tell me about these poems. And this guy explained to me that Shakespeare had written a lot more than just plays, but all these poems...sonnets, they're called."

"That's right!" Tish exclaimed. "That's what made him so cool. Will was not a one trick pony. He wrote all these different types of plays, plus a plethora of really romantic sonnets......oh my gosh! Tino! Do you mean?!"

"I thought it would be kind of romantic of we sat out here and just read some of these poems to each other. I wanted to know more about these things. I know you're really interested in them. I went over a few with the bookstore guy, and they weren't really that difficult to understand. Anyway, I want to share in your interests. Because I say I'm interested in you, but I think it's time I started showing it a little more." 

Tish stared at Tino for several moments, her face looking dreamy and her eyes full of stars. Leaning into him, she ran her left hand up his arm, across his shoulder and then under his neck, tipping it upwards to meet her own as she pulled him into a very tender kiss, one that began soft and that became a little more daring than usual as she wrapped her arms around him, prolonging the moment. She released him after some time, leaving little flash kisses around his mouth and cheeks as she pulled away. 

"Whoa." Tino tried to recover, still lost somewhere between his explanation and...whatever had happened immediately afterwards.

"Tino, I know I've said this a lot this weekend, but do you have any idea how sweet you are? You didn't have to do this, you know?"

"I know. I didn't do it because I felt I had to, or because anyone told me to. I did it because I wanted to. And I want to know more about you and your world." Tish pushed her glasses up into her fair as she wiped something out of her eye. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Really. I just....had something in my eye, is all." She replaced her glasses, restoring her sight. "Sorry. You just really took me by surprise here. In a good way, Tino, I mean that, I truly do." She couldn't resist running her right hand slowly through his hair as she lifted the book onto her lap and began leafing through it. "This is.....there's nothing you could have bought me that would mean as much to me as this does. Come on, lean in closer, let's recite some of these, like you planned."

"I'd like that." Tino pushed himself closer, until they were side by side, moving a candle closer so that they could catch better light to read by. 

Tish looked up at him once more as she readied a good poem to start with. "Happy anniversary, Tino." She smiled warmly, putting an arm around Tino and pulling him a little closer.

"Happy anniversary, Tish." The cloud drifted away from the moon as the began reciting.

Welcome, dear readers, to the chapter that nearly wasn't. More than any other week, the entire cosmos was against a new chapter coming out. I ended up writing most of this at work on Friday, August 25. It wasn't easy. But it came out. On time, no less. I was crying Thursday night, feeling I'd never get the new chapter out. Fortunately, I was able to get this together, and it's not looking too shabby, if I do say so myself.

No Lor this time out. Not that I couldn't think of anything to do with her, just that I felt there were themes and forces here too great to break up with an interlude starring her and Carver. I haven't quite finished this segment yet, so it's possible she may not appear next week either, I haven't decided just yet. Fans of Lor, please don't despair. You will begin to see her character take on a much more pronounced role in this saga come Third Stage (oh yes, there IS a Third Stage), so don't think she's being brushed aside. By no means. In fact, one of my greatest fears is that her story will become more popular than the main one, but it's a chance I'm willing to take. Sadly, saying anything more on this matter would be telling, so you'll just have to make do, for now.

An important notice, I will be going away the weekend of August 8-10. Those who have looked at my profile know that I'm a huge anime fan, and I will be at Otakon that weekend. Preparations for this trip will likely eat into story writing time. In other words, there may be no chapter that week. I've been looking into writing another one ahead of time, but I don't know if that will be feasible or not. Rest assured that I will do exactly that, if possible.

We come now, my friends, to the end of the file. Another week come and gone. To those of you who deeply look forward to this story updating, week in and week out, I wish you could know how much that means to me. As I step out, I'd like to encourage you all to keep reviewing, and better yet, to contact me via e-mail or AIM if so moved. It's nice to get to know the people who are involved with what I create every week.

Later days!

Lord Malachite

7/25/03

1:52 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	10. Romance, Part II

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Ten

"Romance, Part II"

Saturday

The candles had burned down rather noticeably as the night drifted on. The couple had been sitting on the edge of the dock for over an hour, pouring over various selections of The Bard's poetry, Tish singling out a few of her favorites, some of which she asked Tino to recite to her. Despite being a tad cliché and perhaps even a little corny, she found that she enjoyed being compared to a summer's day. Immensely so. The evening had been more than either had hoped for. Tino was many things, but rarely so openly romantic. Neither was she, for that matter. It was a refreshing change, even though it was destined to be short-lived. Still, that was no reason not to indulge themselves while it lasted. 

Tish turned towards her partner as he finished reading the last stanza, wearing a grin and a knowing look that filled Tino with equal parts excitement and fear. He was sure he looked as confused as he felt when Tish lifted herself up to a standing position unexpectedly. "What are you doing?" 

"Perhaps something uncertain." She replied, climbing over the boy and lowering herself into his lap, making minor adjustments as she came to rest, flushing a bit at her sudden boldness. "I'm a little bit taller than you, so this may not be a perfect fit." Settling herself in, she wrapped her arms around Tino's neck, kicking her legs giddily. She laughed with a sense of general happiness, feeling unusually content with everything in her life at the moment, not merely her present situation. "Surprised."

"Yeah, but I think I like it. You're not as heavy as I'd thought." Tish bopped him on the head with a fist. "Okay, so now what."

"Nothing. Isn't that what these kind of times are all about?"

"You're worried about them." Dixon chuckled as he washed up the few items used in preparation of the meal that weren't disposable.

"Worried? I thought you knew me better than that." Tino's mother cocked a smile. "I know where they are and what they're doing."

"Then what's with the frown on your face."

"It is not a frown!"

"Oh, please, like you said, I know you better than that. Fine, a scowl then. Perhaps a glower."

"You're impossible."  
  


"I thought that was one of the many things you liked about me."

"Now what gave you that crazy idea?"

"But you are worried about them."

Miss Tonitini threw a pillow at Dixon, which bounced off his back and hit the floor, tumbling end over end once before sliding to a halt. "It's not worry so much as...concern, I guess."  
  


"What? You think they won't behave themselves?"  
  


"It's not that. I guess I just don't want to see anything negative happen to them. You may find it hard to believe, but I've been in high school, you know, and that's exactly where they're headed next year. High school romance can really be the pits."

"Get dumped a lot?"

"You're asking for it tonight." The brunette's face darkened.

"There! That was a scowl!"

She ignored him while continuing. "High school can be like a soap opera. All the courses, the extra-curricular activities, relationships, the effects those relationships have on existing friendships, term papers, counseling, college prep. I just don't want to see them get hurt. I'd like to see Tino get involved in an activity next year, I think it's pretty obvious that Tish will sign up for Drama Club and the Swimming Team. Not to mention she plays that instrument of hers. Tino will need to get involved with something. It'll be good for his college application."

"I'd still like to get him into the book club if he's interested. I was also thinking of going to this big comic book convention in San Francisco this August, I think it would be right up Tino's alley. With your permission, of course."

"You seem to be more interested in bonding with my son lately." She arched an eyebrow.

"Well, believe it or not, I was once Tino's age."

"I don't believe it!"

Much as she had, Dixon chose to ignore the barb and continue undaunted. Besides, he had deserved that. "On top of that, I never had a son. Not that Moira and I haven't had some great times together. Having another child wasn't something my ex-wife and I really discussed, and then things deteriorated and, well, that was that. It was never really a big deal to me, but after I met you, and then Tino and his friends, I began to wonder what it would be like to have a boy. It's not like I pretend he's mine or anything like that, I have no illusions. But I know it must be tough to have his father so far away." Dixon sighed. "It's not that I want to take his father's place. It's more like, I just want to be a good male role model. He's a teenager now, he's going to have questions..."

"As I recall mentioning, questions even I won't really be able to answer."

"Right. So I want him to be able to feel like he can come to me. Unless, of course, he already has someone..."

"No, no, you're right. And your heart is in the right place. Tino already looks up to you, so he'll probably do just what you're suggesting. And it will be better this way."

"Well, that was easy."

"Dixon, you know I always want what's best for Tino. Just as you want what's best for Moira."

"You know, sometimes I wish we could give our kids an instruction manual that would help them through their difficult teenage years."

"I know, but that's not very realistic. It's part of the growing experience. Learning for yourself, becoming more than you are. We both muddled through just fine, I'm sure Tino and Moira and Tish and all their friends will make it."

"What about all the speed bumps along the way?"

"Those are what make us human. I don't know about you, but I still hit them from time to time."

"Speak for yourself." Dixon smirked.

"No speed bumps?"

"Ha! I wish. Mine are more like moguls."

"Aww, poor baby. Anything an ice cream can't fix?"

"I haven't met many problems that ice cream couldn't cure. But you're buying!"

"Aren't you supposed to take pity on me, being the single mom and all?"

"You may be a single mom, but hopeless you aren't!"

"And don't you forget it!"

Lor grinned to herself as she sank her fifteenth consecutive basket, dribbling the next ball that traveled down the ramp twice before it became number sixteen. She continued in this manner until she had reached a total of sixty-eight points, a mere three baskets shy of her record. "Darn it, I was totally robbed." Lor stamped her foot. "I was so close setting a new record for myself."

"Y'know, you could probably score a lot more points if you didn't stop to dribble every ball."

"I know. I do that to handicap myself. When I make it up to eighty points, I'm going to start dribbling three times."

"Man, you're ambitious."

"I told you, you're looking at a future UCONN all star. It's my destiny!"

"Yeah, but UCONN is so far away. We'll won't get to see you anymore."

"You'd miss me?"

"Of course! So would Tino and Tish. It's called friendship, and you're our friend."

"Thanks, Carv."

"Don't sweat it. So, should we set up shop at one of the pool tables?"

"Not just yet. I've got a hankering for some chili cheese fries. I can't play my best until I get some."

"I think I could go for some myself."

"Carver, you can always go for chili cheese fries. Who are you kidding?" Lor rolled her eyes. "So, what's our cash situation?"

"Well, we ran through some at the mall, but we're still ahead, especially when we factor in our allowances."

"Kudos to us." Lor smiled. "Who says we need Tino to buy all our snacks?"

"Speak for yourself!" Carver cringed in terror. 

"I could, but I find it's much more fun to speak for everybody else."

"Don't you usually do that anyway?"

"Yeah! What's the point in being all passive and stuff?"

"I dunno. I pride myself on being assertive. Anyway, how are the arms feeling? You in the zone?"

"Oh, I'll be there, don't you worry about a thing. Lor Macquarrie doesn't let her friends down."

"What about that time you were supposed to get tickets to Star Pilots 4 for us?"

"Dude, do you have to keep bringing that up? I said I was sorry!"

"I still can't believe we waited over two hours for you!"

Lor's expression darkened, and she slammed her open palm against the wall. "Did you hear that? That was the sound of this topic officially being beaten into the ground. I screwed up that time, okay? You happy?"

Carver relented. "I'm sorry, Lor, it wasn't very cool of me to throw it back in your face like that. Friends?"

Lor simmered for a moment before offering her hand to Carver. As the boy moved to take it, she pulled back. "Wait. Promise not to drag up my past mistakes?"

"I promise."

"All right then." Lor smiled, shaking his hand. "Y'know, because I'd hate to bring up that time you bet the three of us in that race against Laird."

"Ouch! Touché, madam."

"You are so lucky I was there to turn that situation around for you." Lor continued, and that Tish actually realized how that picture looked."

Lor chuckled heartily as she and Carver got in line to order refreshments. "Now you know how it feels."

"I'm glad we're on the same side. I think."

"Yeah, and the sign of true friendship is to buy your amigo a Chug-A-Freeze."

"Uh-huh. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Relax. It's on me." Lor waived him off. 

"You for real?"

"It's only fair. It's my turn to buy. And yes, I know, you can say it, I'm not one to usually volunteer to pay for things."

"Good, because I'm gonna say it! Lor, you almost never volunteer to pay for something."

"Hey, I don't want anyone being able to say I'm inconsiderate and stuff. And if they do, I'll glue them to the wall!"

"Okay, let's not start that again..."

"Anyway, it's only fair I pay my fair share and stuff." Lor ordered two boats of chili cheese fries and two Chug-A-Freezes, eyes lighting up as the six dollars in her hand was replaced with a ticket of sorts. "It's also only fair that I get to keep the game ticket."

"Game ticket?"

"Yeah." Lor smiled. "You can win free stuff. Got a quarter?" Carver fished around in his pocket for a moment before passing a coin to Lor. She furiously ran it over the shaded area, revealing her prize. "See, I just won myself twenty game tokens. And a quarter."

Carver stood, head inclined to the ceiling, shaking it back and forth and throwing up his hands. "I don't know she does it. I just don't know how she does it!"

Tino sat happily with the slightly enamored Tish in his lap, the two of them watching lightning bugs light up the darkness intermittently. "It's too bad we don't have places like this back home." Tino suggested.

"Yeah, the beach is nice, but this is...I think I understand why people spend weekends at places like this. The fresh air, the clean water, being close to nature..."

"Ahhhhh!" Tino squealed as he felt something on his neck. "There's a spider on me! Get it off! Get it off!" Tino flew to his feet, gyrating around in an effort to dislodge the insect, Tish, instantly deposited into the water as he stood. Tino started pulling at his shirt, yanking it off and swinging it about, while Tish sputtered in the water, recovering from the shock and trying to pull herself back up onto the dock. Tino whipped his shirt onto the dock a few times to kill anything on it before finally settling down. Panting, he flapped his shirt out to dislodge and spiders that might be inside before warily putting it back on. Only then did he notice his girlfriend, dripping water and looking not much unlike she had after babysitting a sugar crazed Todd for two hours by herself. "Tish? What happened.......oh........uh oh..."

Tish grabbed a handful of her hair and wrung it out, adding to the puddle already formed at her feet. "Thank you so very much, Tino. I was feeling too dry."

"I'm sorry, Tish! I'm really sorry! It was an accident, I swear it!"

Tish scowled, trying to keep her temper. "Tino, you really need to be less jumpy. Especially if I'm sitting in your lap!"

"But the spider."

"The spider," Tish groaned, "was my index finger on your neck!"

"No spider?" Tino squeaked.

"Oh, there's a spider all right. The Spider Woman! Start running Tino!"

"Wait! Tish! Can't we talk about this?!" Tino's response was one of Tish's hair clips bouncing off his head. "Guess not!" He turned aside while running. "Um, this is probably going to be really embarrassing, so you can just go ahead and cut for now. I'll catch up with you later. If Tish hasn't caught up with me, that is!"

I managed to squeak this one out on schedule, so I'm happy. I know it's nothing really stellar this time, but remember, Awakening is a work in progress that has really only begun. Thanks for riding this far, I'll try to keep things refreshing. 

Hey Lor fan's, notice your favorite girl is back? Be patient with me, she will be a very important character, it's just taking me awhile to get to that part. I think the overall response will be positive when I get there. 

Point of note, I'm going to try to have a chapter available for next week, but it may prove difficult because I'm going to Otakon and have a lot of preparations to make. If I can do it, I will. If not, I'll be back the week after. If any of you are going to Otakon, I'd be happy to meet you. I'll be at the fanfiction panel and the Evangelion panel for certain. Hope to see you there.

Please keep reading, and reviewing. As I know I've said before, you faithful readers really help make this all worthwhile. I appreciate each and every one of you and value your opinions, praise, and constructive criticisms. See you all soon.

Lord Malachite

8/2/03

2:23 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	11. Contemplation

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Eleven

"Contemplation"

Saturday

Tino ran for his cabin, a water-logged Tish not far behind him. Seeing as how the girl still seemed particularly upset about being unceremoniously dunked into the lake because of his own silliness, Tino felt that the best place for him to hide out was around the company of adults. Of course, this depended on the foolish assumption that they would take his side, which was unlikely, to say the least. Nevertheless, he wouldn't know unless he tried. Besides, even if they thought Tish was right, which she probably was, at least they wouldn't let her kill him!

"Help!" Tino waved his arms frantically as he scrambled in through the cabin door, bursting in on his mother and Dixon in a slightly tender moment. "Mom! Dixon! Protect  me from Tish! She's going to.....um, am I interrupting something?"

Dixon rolled his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that the mood was gone. "Nothing terribly important." He sighed. Mrs. Tonitini whapped him on the head. "Ow!"

"Nothing terribly important?" She arched an eyebrow at her suitor.

"Can we possibly talk about this later?"

"Oh, you can bet we will."

"Great..." grimaced Dixon. "So, Tino, now that you're here, what's this about protecting you from-"

The door swung open once more, allowing the soaked girl in question to enter. Letting the door close behind her, Tish grabbed a handful of her hair and wrung it out for effect, a large puddle beginning to fall at her feet. "Tish!" Tino's mother called, getting up and trotting to the girl. "What happened to you? Did you fall into the lake?"

Tish calmly adjusted her glasses before responding. "That's an interesting choice of words. I suppose you could say I did fall in. I fell in after Tino stood up and dropped me."

"Dropped you?"

"It's a long story, Mom." Explained Tino.

"Maybe I don't want the details. I was a teenager once too, so I can imagine."

"Suffice it to say," Tish began, "Tino ruined the mood."

"I'm really sorry, Tish." Tino offered. "It was a total accident, I swear."

"Oh, I guess chasing you all the way back here proved my point."

"Uh...don't drop you into the lake."

"Something like that. I'm glad we got this little fiasco straightened out. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to change into something dry." Tish crossed the room to her dresser, picking out a new outfit, then strode into the bathroom to change.

Tish resisted the urge to laugh once she was inside, she preferred to let Tino think she was still slightly annoyed. She was a tad miffed that he had managed to ruin the mood, perhaps, but she rapidly began embracing the absurdity of the situation. And absurdity had its place.

Laying her change of clothes out on the counter, Tish stripped off her wet garments, eager to rid herself of the clingy feeling. The dampness had begun to irritate her more sensitive areas. Shedding down to bare skin, she reached for a towel to help removed the damp from various nooks and crannies and joints. A part of her mentally chastised herself for being so thorough and perfect, but there was little she could do to stop herself. Perfectionist or no, this was getting down. Besides, she had decided to make peace with her perfection. Or at least, her strive to attain that state. Idiosyncrasies made up a large part of her daily routine, her very existence. Attempts to deny them only resulted in turning her all kinds of crazy, which wasn't entirely uncommon.

She could not avoid looking at herself in the mirror. There was something about the glass that she found oddly compelling. Tish blinked, realizing that it had been ages since she'd really looked at herself, especially in so pure and vulnerable a state. Fascinated, she found herself climbing up onto the bathroom counter and sink, stretching out her right leg. As she ran a finger down the length of it, her eyes darted back and forth between her flesh and its reflection. Her features felt entirely familiar, yet somehow different. Dimly, Tish thoughts turned to various disturbing films she had been subjected to over the years in health classes. The thought of those things happening to her seemed alien, yet she couldn't deny that the process might already be starting. She was growing up. She could only hope that her body would not grow and change faster than she was ready for. Not that she was dissatisfied with her body. But as she looked backwards, she could remember a time when she was so much smaller, tugging on her mother's skirts, reading classics for the first time. She smiled warmly at those fond memories, tossed about in the contrast of how nice and simple her life had been, but also the reality that she could never return to those times, save for memory. The first stage of her childhood was now over, she had to focus on what lay ahead. She laughed a bit at that thought. Looking ahead is what she had spent most of her life doing. At times, she felt as though she were thirteen going on twenty-three. High school was right around the corner, and college was rapidly approaching. There was so much for her to do, so little time. School, homework, clubs, drama, Tino...soon enough, she would even have to get a job. Adulthood loomed ever closer, heralding a time when the weekend would not be so wide open and care free. Responsibility would rear its ugly head. And so, Tish treasured the times like these, knowing that they couldn't last forever, yet savoring every day they continued to be hers. 

Slowly, Tish climbed off the sink and stood in front of it once more, then she ran her hands through her hair, letting it fall limp with the moisture trapped inside. She took the towel in hand again, deciding to expedite the drying process, making sweeps that were rough and vigorous, eager to return her hair to its natural, softer state. Somewhat satisfied, Tish ran her hands down the length of her sides, pondering her appearance. Perplexed, she cautiously lifted off her glasses, leaning in close to the mirror so she could see through her near-sightedness. Sighing, she replaced the lenses over her eyes, settling the frames into place, nestling the frames in the niches of her ears. She was fair, she supposed, and smooth, but she was still nowhere nearly as attractive as Lor. By far, Lor MacQuarrie was the pretty one in their set, if a bit tomboyish. Still, Tish did not feel ugly. A bit mousy at times, yes, but by no means hopeless. She seemed to have something that Tino liked, for certain. Giggling, she wrapped the towel around herself, trying to execute seductive poses towards the mirror. All she succeeded in doing, however, was turning herself a deep shade of crimson. As though she could ever behave like that! Intrigued, she arched an eyebrow and struck a confident pose, as though daring her reflection to make a move. Tish considered herself to be the daring one in their pairing. A mental image of her jumping an unsuspecting Tino underneath the Big Tree ran through her mind. Where on earth had that come from? She shook her head, clearing it of strange ideas. Rolling her eyes, Tish decided that it might not be such a bad time for her to get dressed.

Lor stood in the bathroom of the Funville Arcade, washing her face with her hands. The cool water was surprisingly calming, she found that it granted her a relaxed feeling. Flipping her hair, she grinned at the mirror before grabbing a paper towel and dabbing her face dry. Grinning, she turned towards the camera, all smiles. "Okay, I know what you're thinking. What is with this dude and all the bathroom scenes, right? I mean, look at this! You just put up with all that junk about Tish being in the bathroom, only to cut to me...in the bathroom. Talk about obsessing! Oh well, we're here now, so we might as well make the most of it. I'm sorry if I've been a bit weird lately, but I've been feeling kind of trapped. You probably would too, if you were me. I don't want to be alone. But that's how I feel. Tino and Tish, they dropped this bomb on us, then said they were leaving for the weekend. I don't know about you, but I felt that was way harsh. It made me feel lonely and isolated. How can Carver just take it so non-chrana....chilly...cherno...how can he just act like it's no big deal.? Sometimes I just don't get him. It's definitely a big deal. What happens if they break up and don't wanna see each other anymore? It could tear apart our special friendship we all have. Or worse, what if they start to get like...you know...brr, okay, there's an image it's going to take all day to get out of my head. Aww duuude, see what you made me do?"

"Anyway, Carver seems to think I should just suck this up and stop thinking about it. And maybe he does have a point. I guess it really isn't my business what they do, right? But...they're my friends. We're supposed to look out for each other and stuff. I'm pretty confused. I'm not afraid to admit that the two of them probably make a really good couple. Even though I haven't really seen them together all couply yet. It's kind of a weird feeling. Like if they started holding hands, I'd feel two different things. Part of me would think it's totally messed up. But the other half would find that really sweet. And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll glue you to the wall. Hey, I've got an image to keep up!"

"But...I do feel a little bummed. They've been together for an entire year now. I haven't been able to make that kind of progress with Thompson yet. I can't even really call him my boyfriend, even though I'd like to. I just can't talk around him. My throat closes up and I blush like crazy, sometimes I mumble stuff. It's so embarrassing and I can't do anything to stop it. It's like I'm watching myself act like an idiot whenever I see him, but for whatever reason, I'm helpless to stop it. Just trust me when I say it's really annoying. Time like that, I usually wish I was Tish. She always knows how to talk to Thompson. Man that makes me so jealous! Tish can talk to guys better than I can, and she's never even had a crush on anyone like the rest of us. Well, unless you want to count Percy, but I don't think that artificial crushes should count. Unless...maybe she had a thing for Tino all along? But if she did, she was pretty good at hiding it. Then again, we already know she's good at hiding stuff. She managed to go the entire year without us even suspecting there was something going on. Even Tino managed to hide it, and he's got the world's worst poker face. Not to mention that he squeals. It usually isn't too hard to figure out what Tino's thinking, but he had no trouble hiding something like that. It really makes you wonder about how well you know your friends. Either he's a lot smoother than I ever gave him credit for, or I'm just missing something. Poor Tino, I should really give him the benefit of the doubt."

Smirking, Lor gripped the counter with both hands and hoisted herself up, sliding her butt on the surface and dangling her legs over the side. "Me? I'm still plotting my next move. I think I'm out from under this whole Tino and Tish thing, but I still just don't feel like my usual self. Maybe I should try playing a game of rugby with my brothers. I wonder if I can get Carver to join in? I mean, if it won't mess up his shoes or anything. You know Carver, he's pretty uptight when it comes to his kicks. Then there's Tino, who loves comic books and seems a little...well, he seems to have fears stuffed inside him. It's really kind of cute. Sometimes creepy, but cute. Sometimes we can forget he's the only one of us who comes from a broken home, so I guess that kind of thing is only natural. It couldn't have made his life any easier, even though his mom is pretty cool. A bit of a health nut, but cool. Tish is all into her books and art and stuff...is it just me, or am I the only one of our group who seems normal? There we go, that's what I like to see. Kudos to me! Anyway, where was I...Tino. Well, I guess on the puppy dog meter he rates a...whoa, wait a minute! I can't believe I almost tried to rate Tino! You guys must think you're pretty slick. Well, I'm not going to fall for that so easily. Ha!" Smiling happily, Lor slid down off the counter, making her way towards the door. "Okay, we've spent entirely too much time in the bathroom. Carver's going to think I fell in or something."

Approaching the heavy wooden door, Lor pushed it open and stepped through, returning into the darker atmosphere of Funville. Her eyes had to readjust to the lower light levels. Carver was waiting next to the door, leaning against the wall and trying to look cool. His yellow shirt seemed to absorb large quantities of light in the area, drawing people's eyes to him. "You were in there for awhile." Carver spoke, cocking an eyebrow. "You fall in?"

"No." Lor gave him a look indicating she didn't want to made fun of.

"Oh, so you just got a little of the old ring-around-the-butt."

Lor stuck her tongue out at him in response. "I'm sorry you had to wait, I was busy."

"Ah, it's okay. I'm just sorry you had to sit in a wet seat."

"Huh?" Carver motioned towards her posterior, which Lor tried in vain to see, despite the fact that she couldn't turn her head one hundred eighty degrees. Vexed, she rapped her hands against her rump several times, surprised indeed that her jeans were damp. "This sucks!"

"You didn't, you know, have an accident, did you?"

"Dude, stop, someone might be able to hear you seriously! I must've sat in some water on the sink."

"And why were you sitting on the sink?"

"Who are you, my dad? It's a woman's right to sit on the sink if she wants to!"

"Uh-huh." Carver replied sarcastically. "So tell me, is it also a woman's prerogative to walk around with wet jeans? How can you have not felt that?!"

"Thick jeans." Lor shrugged. "I didn't feel it at all. Great. Now I get to walk around looking like I've wet myself." She groaned.

"Well, on the plus side, if you do you're already showing, so no one will notice."

"Gee, thanks Carv. Where would I be without you?" Lor rolled her eyes.

"I honestly don't know, but I shudder to think of a world without Carver DesCartes."

"I'll bet you do."

"I'm serious! I watched that 'It's A Wonderful Life' movie last December. It was about this dude whose life got so bad he wished he had never been born, and then this angel came and showed him what the world would be like if he'd never been born. Man, it was terrible! This one greedy rich dude took over the whole town, and he made them all live in these crummy houses that cost a fortune. All those people this one guy had managed to help in life. And he was just an ordinary man. I figure someone like me, the whole world could fall apart!"

"Yeah." Chided Lor. "Everyone would sigh with relief at the same time, and it would like, knock the earth out of its orbit and we'd all fall into the sun or something."

"Mock me if you must, but I'm telling you, we're all important."

"Right......maybe you've had too many Chug-A-Freezes today."

"So I downed one while I was waiting on you! What's the big deal?"

"Oh c'mon! I wasn't in there that long! Now you're just being stupid about it!"

"Stupid? Hey, you try waiting out here. Then again, what's the point? Man, girls spend way too much time in the bathroom."

"Well sorry if it's not quite so simple for us!"

"You should be!" Carver yelled, then replayed the last twenty seconds of their argument. "Whoa, okay, let's chill. We're being childish. I mean, for us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. If Tish were here, she's probably yell at us for being immature."

"Like it's our fault! It's what we're good at. My responsibility is to coolness. If that makes me immature, I consider it a small price to pay."

"Let's just get our game in. I could really use a new pair of kleets!"

"Is it just me, or does that girl take a long time in the bathroom?" queried Dixon, sitting in the most comfortable chair the cabin had to offered, adjacent to Tino's mother, in a similar (but slightly harder) chair.

"In a hurry?" Miss Tonitini asked sarcastically.

"Merely an observation." Dixon reassured her.

The sentiment sent Tino's mind back to that twisted weekend he and Tish had spent trying to piece together costumers for a party to which they had been unexpectedly been invited.  They had thought that Lor and Carver did not receive an invite, and so they had gone to great lengths to hide their activity from the others. Being the artist, Tish had spent a large amount of time in the "bathroom," Tino covering for her while she covertly slipped off to work on the costumes. On hindsight, Tino wasn't sure which had been more embarrassing, the hideous costumes he and Tish had made out of odds and ends, or finding out that the entire endeavor had been a plot of Colby and Bree, designed to humiliate them for the amusement of others. The only consolation in the whole catastrophe had been that both Lor and Carver had very much been invited, and they had stood up for himself and Tish. Definitely a lesson in keeping secrets from one another, and also in who their real friends are. Sometimes, Tino found himself lying awake at night, pondering his relationship to each of his friends. He was pleased to realize that despite all their different personalities, he could not honestly say that he liked one of his friends better than another. Even given his evolved relationship with Tish, he still couldn't honestly say that she was a better person than any of the others. She was his significant other, but his friend first, and he tried to leave it at that. He considered her equal among friends and exalted among women. Tino didn't fully grasp the logistics of that situation, but it had been an issue the two of them had hammered out very early in their relationship; the effect it could have on the others was not a consequence to be taken lightly. Tino winced at the thought of hurting any of his friends, they had all been together far too long to be broken up now. The friendship was one of the few things he could truly count on in life. Everything else could come and go, but somehow, deep inside, he felt that they all would find a way to stay together. 

Tish elected to present herself at that moment, now clad in purple, both top and bottom, a moderate shade which appealed to the eye but did not encourage staring. She smiled slightly as she deposited her wet articles in a plastic bag, then grabbed her brush from the table beside the bed, running it through her hair as she walked to the cushioned wicker love seat, dropping her body onto it, all the while struggling with her hair. Her face tightened each time she forced her way through a snag. Quietly, Tino stood up from his chair and crossed over to the love seat. Tish did not react to his presence, promoting Tino's mother to take a sip of her herbal tea, as if to say 'this might be interesting." Tino's mouth opened and closed several times, looking for the right thing to say, but failing miserably.

"I...I'm sorry, Tish." Tino finally got out. "I just totally freaked out back there and all thoughts of you just vanished. I didn't want you to get soaked, honest." Tish pulled the brush through her hair one last time, turning so that the back of her head now faced the boy. She passed the brush behind her expectantly. "You want me to brush your hair?" 

"Even strokes, all the way through." Tish managed to find her voice. "I normally do this ritually, my own routine. This isn't very hard, but please, go gently. Don't pull too hard!"

"No prob." Tino nodded. "I'll brush it so carefully, you'll never know I did it."

"Forgive me if I'm not completely filled with confidence." Tish laughed as Tino looked the brush up and down before applying it to her head and brushing backwards. "Oww." Tish admitted as Tino pulled through a particularly nasty snag. 

"Sorry."

"Not your fault."

"Alright." Miss Tonitini grinned. "It looks as though you two aren't going to kill each other after all." Tish turned to look at Tino, who in turn looked at her. Both of them started laughing at the same time. "They'll be fine. You owe me a soda, Dixon. It wasn't until long after Tino had settled into bed for the night that he realized the significance of his mother's words. She was betting on them, and he knew he wouldn't disappoint.

Awakening is back!

Thanks for reading everyone! I apologize that this took so long to get out to you, but I had to go to Otakon, and after that I was just so swamped, it took me a long time to get this one out to you. Even as I write this, I'm dead tired, so please forgive me if any parts of it are incoherent. I did a lot of daring stuff this time out, I hope you all think enough of it to try it again with me next week.  

I would tell you more, but I can't keep my eyes open. Keep reading, hopefully you'll be rewarded. 

Lord Malachite

8/18/03                        

5:46 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26. 


	12. Reflection

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Twelve

"Reflection"

Sunday

Tino awoke feeling disoriented. There were no covers on him. Odd. He felt cold. Struggling, Tino refused to open his eyes. He had been having such a nice dream, it would seem a shame to let it go. He could almost feel the soft threads between his fingers, the generous scent of Tish's hair still fresh in his memory. Right, he had spent the last of the night brushing her hair out, carefully following her instructions. He had found it a rather satisfying, if not complicated experience, more than fair when he thought of how she had fallen into the lake because of his carelessness. Sometimes, he knew, she tolerated him too much. What rational woman would put up with him? Wait, had he just referred to Tish as rational? Tino found himself chuckling. Perhaps he was more awake than he had thought. Groaning, Tino forced his eyes open,  ripping through the fibers of eyeball crustiness webbing his eyes. His sheets lay on the floor, apparently the product of someone's attempt to wake him. Rubbing his eyes while sitting up, Tino yawned, then tried to find his voice.

"Oh, hey, Tino here. Okay, you'll pardon my appearance, but I'll bet you don't look so hot in the morning either. Do you? Huh?! Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway..." Tino scratched at his hair, it stood on end in many places. "...where was I? Right, Tish, being rational. Um, you guys haven't been doing that creepy mind-reading thing like my mom, have you? On second thought, I don't want to know. Anyway, yeah, Tish rational. There's a scary thought. Remember when I was brushing her hair last night? She thinks I didn't see, but I saw her slip around outside and brush another seventeen times. Do you know why? Because two hundred thirteen isn't divisible by ten. Two hundred thirty is. Oh yeah, I know all about it. She let that one slip like a year and a half ago. I find it kind of cute. Crazy, unbelievably weird, but cute. You know Tish, she tries hard, but I say all those idiosyncrasies are what makes her Tish. Believe me, I've seen her at her worst. Specifically, there was that time I had only two tickets to Chum Bukkit. Two tickets, four friends. Now obviously, I was going, since I had won them. But who was I going to take? I wasn't dating Tish then, so she had no edge over the others. Not even a factor. I remember how they each went crazy for those things. Carver tried to use some kind of legal reasoning on me. Lor kept offering to do my chores. That is, if you count messing up my house and ruining the landscape as chores. Which brings us to Tish, who, I'd like to point out, took a completely different tactic. The guilt trip. No, actually, this was more like a first class guilt cruise, with catered cuisine and All-You-Can-Drink Wetbar. This, guys, was the act of a desperate woman. She stood outside on my porch, telling me not to take her to the concert because it wouldn't be fair to the others. Clever, maybe even selfless enough to work. But Tish doesn't do anything halfway. She then told me to pay no attention to any moans I might here. I think she said something about them being manifestations of the inner turmoil she felt over being denied the chance to see Chum Bukkit. Yeah, then she started howling every five seconds or so, pressing her face against my window all the while. I know, it was sick! Sneaky and diabolically clever, but sick! I almost gave in and took her just to stifle the noise. That girl can make all matter of disturbing noises. Ask Lor. There's this one sound Tish can make that has the ability to turn poor Lor into a puddle of goo. It stops her in her tracks!"

Tino pulled himself off the bed, straightening his pajamas. Grinning, he reached up and pulled a cord, bringing a pull-down diagram to eye level for all to gaze upon. "See this? This is a special project  Lor, Carver, and myself started working on in the fifth grade. We call it Project: TEA, which stands for Tish Equals Alien. It's been a long time since we updated it. Easy to talk about in code, though. Like, 'Hey Carver, could you get us some iced tea?' And then Carver would slip off and try to snoop something of Tish's for evidence. Once we all went to her house and had to distract her while Lor looked through the medicine chest.  She reported some pretty scary stuff, but nothing incriminating enough to prove that Tish is an alien. Still, the signs are there. The way too big vocabulary, her encyclopedic brain, her fascination with stuff that makes most of us fall asleep like its Monday morning homeroom. Not to mention the weird noises, a name you can't properly pronounce if you haven't known her for at least a year, and the creepy stare she can give you for what seems like hours on end, rendering you helpless and stupefied. And that doesn't even start on her family. Nice people, mind you, but they yodel. For fun. Most rational people won't yodel except under fear for their life. You'd think that these people would be the same way, but oh no, they enjoy it. Heck, even Tish thinks yodeling is uncool. How's that for irony? She isn't even rational! Anyway, that's the gist of the situation. So Tish probably isn't an alien. Well, I mean, she is, just not the kind that arrive in UFOs. I think her dad had a Gremlin when they moved here. Of course, there's a lot of my childhood I can't remember. Years of eating my mother's cooking will do that to you. Trust me, it's purely a defense mechanism. Between the whacked cooking and keeping me in touch with my sensations, it's amazing that Mom hasn't managed to bleed all the testosterone out of me."

"Don't you think you're being even a tad bit melodramatic?" Dixon asked cheerfully.

"Well, this was a private conversation."

"I hadn't noticed." Dixon shrugged. "Anyway, I think you're obsessing."

"Obsessing?"

"Yes. You know, there's a word to describe people who feel that everyone is out to get them."

"Right. Perceptive."

"Very droll, Tino."

"Who's being witty? I'm totally serious here!"

"Tino, you never fail to make me smile. Anyway, today's the last day, so you might want to think about packing up. You don't want to wait until the last minute and leave a lot of work for yourself."

"What time do we have to leave?"

"Well, it is a school night, so sometime between two and three o'clock should get us in at a reasonable hour. You might even get to catch up with your friends before the end of the day. Grab a little pizza, live a little..."

"I hadn't even thought of that! Y'know, I'll be that Carver and Lor miss us like crazy!"

Lor was lying crumpled in a heap on her couch, outfit wrinkled and hair matted beneath her head as a makeshift pillow. Carver was lying on the perpendicular angle of the sofa, feet a foot or two from Lor's head. Sawing more wood than a lumber mill, both teens lay in defiance of the new day, despite the commotion of Lor's brothers plowing by, playing a different sport with each new pass. Most of said sports had been upgraded to full contact rules. Occasionally, one of the boys would jump onto the couch and vault themselves over the back, creating a breeze that shifted strands of Lor's hair.

Her entire body felt tired, like she couldn't get up. It was a strange sensation, like she was sound asleep but aware of the outside world. Living in the MacQuarrie household necessitated the ability to sleep with one eye open, as it were. Those who couldn't were too weak to survive. 

Lor turned in her sleep, strange visions running through her head. She clenched the fabric of the sofa cushion tightly as she dreamed, a crease in her forehead appearing and disappearing at regular intervals.

The Bahia Bay Middle School gymnasium was a place well known to Lor, the location where she had sunk the majority of her official baskets. Official meaning they occurred during a sponsored game. The arena seemed empty now. A drumming sound reverberated at regular intervals. It was a sound she knew all too well.

In tune with her recognition, the court seemed to light up at one end. A lone figure stood, dribbling a basketball at the foul line, the beat only interrupted for the occasional foul shot, which never seemed to go in. Lor squinted for a better look, spying a blue jersey like her own and blonde hair. Tino? That would explain the apparent lack of skill that was being demonstrated. "Hey Tino, want me to show you how it's done?" she asked, trotting over to the boy.

"Come to humiliate me?" was Tino's only response as he continued in vain to make a basket, although Lor noted that he seemed to be making some progress. The ball was actually bouncing off the backboard towards the hoop, though it usually missed by a mile. 

"No way. Just thought I'd give you some pointers. Y'know, you're throwing the ball too hard."

"I said I don't need your help!" Tino pushed the girl out of his way, then grabbed the rebound and resumed his dribble and shot routine. 

"Dude! What's wrong with you? We having a fight or something?"

"I don't need your pity, Lor. Or you making fun. Leave me alone, I can handle this myself."

"Who's making fun? There's no one here but us."

"Well, it's nice to know how little you regard me." Sad an all-too-familiar voice. Tish emerged from the dark recesses of the court. "I always suspected, but I never really believed until now."

"Tish? I totally didn't even see you. I'm sorry. What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Tino is trying to broaden his horizons despite the obstacles he faces. He never could handle sports very well at all, but he's decided he needs to at least make the effort. For too long, he says he hasn't even tried. And I am here to be supportive of his goal. It's part of being a good girlfriend, to be supportive. And Tino means a lot to me. It's very exciting to watch him grow as a person."

"And you think I don't care about that kind of thing? Tino's my friend, Tish."

"Is that true? Then why do you betray him by wishing bad on us? Is that was a friend does?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, but you do. I know because you're the jealous type, Lor, and it takes one to know one. It's who we are. And I know you've been quagmired in jealousy since the moment Tino and I revealed to you that we're a couple. Why? Do you really feel that strongly against us? We're supposed to be your friends. Why can't you just be happy for us?"

"Friends." Lor murmured. "Friends don't do what you two are doing. You guys are breaking like a hundred unwritten rules of friendship. You think I don't know what will happen? Either you two will get all involved with each other and forget about you friends, or else you'll break up and try to get Carver and I to take sides. Tell me how that's fair! Why? Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone? If you have to hook up why can't you go outside the group? Everything was going fine before. I was crushing on Thompson, and Tino had a thing for Tasha. What happened there?

"Things change." Tino ceased dribbling the basketball, looking at Lor with sadness in his eyes. That was just a crush. They come and go. It happens all the time. Everyday. It's not like that with Tish. She and I have something important.......that's it, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"Tish and I have something important together, and it scares you. It makes you feel threatened."

"Of course!" Tish chimed in. "It's all so simple! You're feeling lonely and isolated. It worries you that we have something good together, because you think it's going to turn Tino away from you."

"That's not true!" Lor hollered.

"Yes it is! You're jealous of what we found because what you really want is to be in my place!"

No! I...I want you guys to be happy!"

"You want us to fail." Tino said coldly. 

"Just leave me alone!" Lor wailed, turning away from her friends. "What would you know about it?"

"Is that what you really want, Lor?" a new voice asked. "Because I don't think it is."

Lor's gaze whipped around, confirming her suspicions. "Well, looks like I was right. The gang's all here. What do you want, Carver?"

"To be your friend. That's all. You really need to step back and see the bigger picture, Lor. There's nothing going on here that you should be against."

"Y'know, this is exactly what I'm talking about. It's like the three of you just don't get it at all."

"What's to get? So two of our friends like each other. It happens all the time. It's called growing up. Or do you plan to be a perpetual tweenager? Just what do you think life is all about? Didn't they teach us in history class about the pursuit of happiness. I don't pretend to be mature enough to understand that fully, but what I do get is this--I wouldn't appreciate one of my friends telling me they didn't appreciate me going out with someone. You know what your problem is? All you can see is one side of an issue. You're all worried about what might happen. What about what has happened? You see two friends who could end up hurting each other, or maybe us. I see two friends who happened to find what they were looking for in each other. And you're right, maybe it won't last, and there could even be bad stuff to come out of it. But we don't know that. It's their business, and we owe it to them to let them handle it as they see fit. Remember what happened when we tried to come between Tino and his crush Tasha? We just made a mess, until we admitted we were being selfish. Well, that's what you're doing right now, being selfish. All you care about is your own feelings."

"All I have are my feelings! All I know is what I feel. Why can't anyone understand that? You're all supposed to be my friends, but the truth is you don't even know me." Heaving, Lor let herself sink to the floor, legs stretched out. "Am I the person you see in front of you? Because the truth is I don't really know. The way you know me is who I've been for so long that I can't really imagine being any other way."

"You are still unstable." Tish crooked an eyebrow. "You are stronger than you think, you merely convince yourself otherwise. Break through, Lor. If you would only face what you really fear, you would be stronger than ever." The girl disappeared with those words.

"You can make excuses, but like everyone else, only you can take care of you." Carver said as he vanished.

"Tino?" Lor looked anxious.

"Some things you have to face alone, Lor. Why don't you just try believing in yourself? I've never seen you fail when you do that." Tino tossed his basketball straight into the hoop, disappearing before the ball hit the floor.

"I want to! But not if you're all going to leave me alone! Please don't leave me alone! No!"

Dream faded to reality as Lor awoke to a new day, feeling dirty. "Maybe it's true." She whispered. "Everyone always leaves me alone. No, it's worse than that. They know I'm here, but they ignore me. They don't see me. Not even in my own home." She looked over at Carver, who was still sleeping soundly. "At least you stayed with me all weekend. It's nice to know there's at least one person I can count on." Lor smiled at her friend, lightly ruffling his dreadlocks with her right hand. "I'm gonna go make us some waffles, okay?" Carver snored in response. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Trust me dude, once you smell them going, you'll perk right up." She slid off the couch and walked into the kitchen, where at least half of her brothers had a game of soccer going. Grabbing a whistle off the wall, Lor opened the back door and blew the instrument, yelling for the boys to get outside. As they made their way out, game still in play, Lor shut the door behind them and locked it. Gathering her ingredients, she started strategizing on how to reconcile her differences with Tino and Tish when she saw them next.

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty! I feel pretty, and witty, and gay! And I pity...any girl who isn't me today! La la la la la la la la la la!" Tish glided about the bedroom as she tidied up the bed and started repacking her things, folding everything nicely. She mulled over what she would wear for the day before finally deciding on purple all around, still humming her happy song. She grinned as she closed the last drawer on the dresser, catching a glimpse of her cheerful self in the mirror. "See that pretty girl in the mirror there..."

"What mirror, where?" Miss Tonitini mocked as she stepped into the bedroom to begin packing her own things.

"Hey! That's not the melody!" Tish complained.

"I'm sorry. Chorus wasn't really my thing when I was in school. You're not too bad. I, uh, wouldn't quit my day job if I were you, but still, not too bad."

"Um, thanks, I think."

Tino's mother shrugged. "I don't sugar coat much. You have a nice voice, but I don't think it's your calling, y'know?"

"Yeah, it's okay. My goal is to be an actress, not a singer. One of my goals, anyway. I don't think I could be satisfied with doing just one thing in life. I need to stretch my wings."

"And how will high school play into that?"

"Well, I intend to do a lot of personal exploring while I'm in there. And of course, get my diploma so I can go to college. But I've always been interested in acting. Even moreso after being in that production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' last year. So I'm going to join the drama club."

"Right. Maybe we've had this conversation before."

"Probably. But I rarely get bored talking about the future. Unless of course it stands in the way of me living my present."

"So tell me," Tino's mother began as she slipped the remainder of her clothes into the suitcase and closed it, "did you have a good time this weekend?"

"Wonderful." Tish smiled. "There were a few, um, speedbumps, but overall, I couldn't have asked for much more. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We'll come again, and you're welcome to stay with us."

"I'd like that. I wonder if I could get my parents to come up here?"

"I was under the impression that they liked the outdoors."

"They do. They might think it odd that there's no livestock though." Miss Tonitini looked at her bemusedly. "Did I say that out loud?!"

"It's okay."

"Great. And to think, I'm the one who's supposed to make my family seem more American."

"Well, I think it's cool that they didn't lose touch with their roots when they moved here."

"Yeah, but I wish they would be a bit more American. I mean, I love my mom and dad, and they want the best for me. They want me to be an American girl. But is it wrong of me to want the same for them?"

"I think it all depends. I guess what matters is that they're happy with who they are and how they've lived. As a mother, I can tell you that's what I want most for Tino, for him to be happy. And sometimes that isn't easy for me to cope with. I don't feel like I'm completely out of it, but I'm from a different generation. And what makes me happy isn't necessarily going to make Tino happy. That isn't always easy to accept. But I try never to stand in Tino's way so long as I feel its appropriate."

"But sometimes you have to slap his hand when he goes to touch the hot stove?"

"Comes with the territory." The older woman smiled. "My point is, you're going to grow up to be a different person than either of your parents. In all likelihood, you'll be on both sides of this thing during the course of your life. From where I'm sitting, it's easier on your side than mine. If and when you have your own children someday, you'll understand."

"When they want to go play with their friends instead of being with me?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of when they quit college on you, but yeah, you're getting the picture."

"You're very kind to me, Miss Tonitini."

"Yeah, well, I like to pretend I'm a nice person from time to time."

"Right." Tish grinned sarcastically. "So, think we should meet the boys for some breakfast?"

Tino's mother sighed. "Well, it probably won't be the healthiest food in the world, but I think I've earned a day off from cooking."

"Definitely! Besides, this will be fun!" Tish cheered, mentally heaping praises on whatever deity had delivered her from Miss Tonitini's cooking. "Let's go pay them a visit!"

"Yeah, I do owe Dixon a little something for one of his comments last night. Did you forgive Tino yet?"

"Yeah, he was looking kind of pitiful. Although I probably would've been a lot angrier with him if we had been back home. But it just seemed wrong to have a fight on our anniversary."

"That's mature of you."

"Yeah? It also means I can hold it over his head when the need arises."

"Now you're getting the hang of it." Both women laughed uproariously as the headed towards the cabin next door.

Okay, I realize it's been a few weeks since I updated this story. Rest assured that I haven't lost interest in it. It's just a case of things being rather tense at work these past few weeks. It's really been eating into the time I can spend writing while I'm there. I've also had some personal issues, and I was sick a good portion of this past week, which delayed the release. I had hoped to have this out on August 29. Ah well, what's a week between friends?

As you no doubt noticed, I finally took the plunge and brought things around to Sunday. This means that there shouldn't be too many chapters left in this stage. Fear not, the story will not be coming to an end. For those not in the know, as of this writing, I am planning on their being six stages overall. There MAY be a seventh stage featuring a sidestory at some point, but if this is the case, it will not be written until the six primary ones are all complete. This is a big story, but I'm sticking with it. I have a lot to say. You'll also see me steep up Carver's involvement as the stages progress, so for those of you who feel that I don't do enough with him, sit tight, I'll come around. Lor will also play a bigger role as well. 

Because work has been so demanding and it appears that it will be for some time to come, I feel it's only fair to warn to warn the readers that Awakening will probably be on an every other week rotation rather than weekly. I do want to keep the installments coming regularly instead of whenever I feel like it. I have no intention to leave this go unfinished by any means. 

Once again, thanks to everyone who continues to support me in this project, especially through the rough patches. It's also nice to see other long, ongoing Weekenders fics, like WIH. It means that we authors have an audience. Some of you who do not get Toon Disney may be in despair that Disney seems to have aired its last Weekenders episode today. Don't lose heart, we authors will be here to provide you with continued quality stories that hopefully will make you run the gamut of emotions. I know it's a goal of mine. And if you have Toon Disney like me, well...keep reading anyway!

Okay, it looks like I'm starting to ramble here. You know I love to hear from you folks out there, so I beseech you to do more than read. Review. E-mail. IM me. You're always welcome, lords and ladies. 

Until next time,

Lord Malachite

9/6/03

12:39 AM,  EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com       

AIM: Asukaphile26


	13. Domestication

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Thirteen

"Domestication"

Sunday

Carver awoke to an aroma he found most agreeable. As his brain slowly came back online, banishing sleep from the recesses of his mind, he heard the sound of metal scraping against plastic. Unleashing a yawn, Carver rubbed at his eyes, finding the energy to sit up. "Two nights in a row on Lor's couch. Man, people are gonna talk." He laughed, tasting his morning breath. He stood, stretched, then followed the increasingly tempting smell to its source—the kitchen. "That you, Mrs. MacQuarrie?" Carver inquired as he stepped into the kitchen. "Wow, something sure smells good! Would it be okay-" He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes took in the scene before him.

"Actually, its Miss." Lor grinned from the counter, pouring some batter onto a waffle iron as a test. She was wearing a red apron and humming to herself as she broke a few eggs over a bowl, cursing mildly when a few shell fragments fell in. She managed to fish them out without too much effort. 

"Okay, this is weird. I've never seen you do the domestic thing before."

"Dude, can't a girl make some waffles without turning into a housewife? This is one of my talents. It's not like I'm turning into Lor, the happy homemaker. Heck, I don't even know what half the stuff in here does, let alone how to use it."

"You sure?"

"Right, Carv, you got me. I secretly bake when you guys aren't around. Wanna check under my bed? It's where I hide my Easy Bake Oven. Oh, and my Barbie collection."

"All right, all right, I give!"

"You better! You've known me for how long now? Sheesh, make your friend some breakfast and all of a sudden you're Betty Crocker."

"Okay, my bad. Let's just drop it and be friends."

Lor hesitated only a second before smiling and turning back to her batter. "I'm sorry too. You know what I'm like. I just don't make any apologies for who I am."

"Hey, you don't have to. I shouldn't have made fun of you."

"You're darn right!" Lor stuck her tongue out playfully. "My waffles own! I dare you to find a better one in this town."

"That almost sounds like a challenge. I'll let you know what I think after I try one."

"Okay, so...what's your pleasure? Plain? Blueberry? Strawberry? Or do you want to be really daring?"

"Daring?"

Lor bent over and opened up a cupboard, rummaging around until she found what she was looking for. "Aha! I was afraid my brothers had eaten them all." Lor set a bag of chocolate chips on the counter.

"Yes! You really are the super lady!" 

"Knock it off with the lady stuff. Anyway, one naughty breakfast, comin' up!"

"Heavy on the chocolate!"

Lor ripped a hole in the bag of chips with Carver's sentiment, pouring them into her mixing bowl. She found she had to stop at a quarter of the bag, she was running out of batter to mix the chocolate into. The new addition also made stirring a strenuous exercise. Lor found she had to fight with her spatula for control of the batter, it was now grappling with her at every turn. "I need a bigger spatula. This one doesn't give me enough power."

"Where are they?" Carver asked, his head darting around the expansive MacQuarrie kitchen. It hadn't really occurred to him how much room it took to feed so many people.

"Second drawer to the left of the fridge. There's a really big one in there somewhere."

Carver rummaged through the drawer that Lor had indicated, finding a cornucopia of different kitchen instruments. "I don't even know what half this stuff is!"

"Tell me about it. And there's enough  knives in here to prepare some kind of ritual sacrifice."

"Um, there's nothing about you're family you've neglected to tell me, is there Lor?"

Lor stopped her mixing, picked a chocolate chip out of her batter, and flung it in Carver's direction, pegging him squarely in the back of the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Carver demanded to know.

"Don't make fun of my family, dude! We're not into that kinda stuff!"

"Are you okay? You've been kinda touchy lately."

"Touchy?! I'm not touchy! You're the one who's saying stuff, I'm...you're right, aren't you?" Lor suddenly felt compelled to stop, like she was watching herself chew her friend out.

"It's okay. I get it, it's some kinda personal problem. I'm not mad."

"I'm okay, really I am. Um, spatula? It's got a long black handle, big white runner thing at the end?"

"Oh yeah! I think my dad said his mom used to spank him with these when he was bad as a kid. Man, I am so glad my parents didn't do that to me. Wait...maybe I'm not. My parents always used to tell me how disappointed they were in me when I did something bad. I hated that! It was like, worse than a spanking."

"You really gotta toughen up. You and Tino are so weak! I mean, my parents never hit me, but my brothers play rough. And they don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl, and that's the way I like it. If they tried to, I'd hit them a lot harder. I never was big on that hearts and flowers stuff." Lor took the spatula from Carver and resumed stirring. "But I like who I am. And I know you guys do too...whoa, I'm starting to sound like a special episode of Teen Canyon or something. Why am I tell you all this?!"

"Hey, Lor? This doesn't have anything do with Thompson, does it?"

"I don't know. I saw him just a few days ago. It was pretty cool. We actually hung out, and I managed not to act like an idiot. We had a good time, just...it was a good time. I can't think of any other way to describe it." She shrugged.

"But...?"

Lor sighed. "I want him to ask me out. I'm really trying to be myself around him."

"Have you tried asking him out?"

"No way!" Lor churned the batter faster, sending a few stray streaks flying in several directions. "I could never do that! It would make...I just can't, Carver." She stopped stirring and let the spatula fall out of her hands, sliding deep into the bowl. "That's the one thing I just can't do."

"It's never easy. But it isn't like you to back down from a challenge. You may shy away from hard work, we all do. But when someone challenges you, you're in there. Big time, all the way."

"He's not challenging me, Carv. This isn't a game of one on one. At least, not the kind I'm used to."

"But you want this, right?"

Lor laughed bitterly, unsure how her friend could even ask that question. "I've been trying to get Thompson to notice me like that since forever!"

"Then if you want my honest opinion, I think you have a good chance. If you really want it, and know enough to recognize the right opportunities. And if you don't try too hard to impress him." Carver laughed.

"Believe me! I'm learned my lesson on that one!" Lor lifted the bowl and poured a good amount onto the waffle iron. "Finally." She mumbled to herself.

"I'm glad. I've just got one more question for you."

"Yeah?"

"When do we eat?" Lor stared at him for several moments, the same old, dependable Carver grinning back at her. She couldn't find the right words to say, but she felt like laughing, in earnest this time. And laugh she did. It started out as a chuckle, but rapidly transformed into a hearty guffaw. Lor's reaction soon had Carver responding in kind. The two of them giggled on until Lor's creation began burning, black smoke escaping from the sides of the waffle iron. Maybe words weren't necessary after all. 

Dixon smiled as he stood over his grill, preparing a stack of griddle cakes for four. "It may be primitive," he mused, "but I prefer the taste of food cooked over a real fire. This is the kind of stuff that camping is all about."

"Just so long as we take appropriate precautions not to endanger the forest." Tish added in her responsible voice. 

"I've got an extinguisher packed with the emergency equipment."

"Okay, you're starting to sound far too much like a Boy Scout." Miss Tonitini chided him. "You know, with that being prepared and all."

"A true woodsman is always prepared, ladies." Dixon countered.

"Great. Let me know when you find one."

"Whoa, you walked right into that one." Observed Tino, who chuckled quietly.

"I pick my battles." Dixon sighed "Besides, it could always be worse. I look forward to seeing you in charge of a camping trip someday, Tino."

Tish immediately stepped up to the plate. "Are you sure that would be a good idea? Tino. The woods. So much could go wrong."

"Your faith in me never ceases to amaze." Tino defended himself with sarcasm. 

"You don't expect her to go easy on you, do you Tino? Heck, your mom still owes me from last night. And you know what they say. All's fair in love and war. M'lady seems to be well versed in both. And Miss Katsufrakis here is a quick study."

"Let's not give my son strange ideas about me." Tino's mother giggled. "He has a woman of his own to contend with."

"Contend?" Tish cocked an eyebrow. "Am I really that exasperating?"

"Don't look at me!" Tino immediately exonerated himself. "I never said anything implicating! Oh no, not me! I'm clean. Clean, I tell you!"

"Well, I think that's how it works." Miss Tonitini adjusted her seat, then began a spiel that held the attention of all present. "You each do the whole give and take routine, right? That's how relationships work, romantic or otherwise. Remember a long time back when I talked to you about trying to stay in your ideal? I'm sure you've figured out by now that isn't always as easy as it sounds. But when you wake up each morning, you have to recommit yourself to that. And you're only human, we all are. Sometimes one or both of you will make mistakes. Or you'll do things that drive each other crazy." Both Tino and Tish looked at each other, blinked, then giggled. "The important thing is that you try to have a little fun every day. Try not to get caught up in semantics. It's worth the effort. Take it from someone who knows, I've been there. But, enough preaching for one day. 95% of muddling through a relationship can't be learned from someone else. You have to do what works for you, and often times you learn that by making mistakes."

"Oh, great, so you mean we don't have some guide to follow? I'm not good at winging it with important stuff!" Tino appeared generally worried, like he had just found out the teach was passing out a test he was totally unprepared for.

Tino's mother laughed. "Honey, you'll be fine. Whenever you two face something tough, remember to always trust in what matters. You go to school to learn all you can here." She pointed to her son's head. "But you have to live with what you know here." Her finger drifted down towards Tino's heart.

Tish nodded. "So you're saying that if we listen to our hearts, we'll be fine?"

"Yeah, right!" Miss Tonitini laughed hysterically. "Tish, if the world really worked that way, it would be a whole lot simpler. No, I'm afraid that just isn't the case. But you have to live with the outcome. Even if things don't work out for you at all, at least you can say you followed your heart. Try to remember that in all things, it's something my own mother taught me."

"You're right." Tish said, feeling stunned. She realized she had just been given advice comparable to know other, advice that would hold true no matter what her goals, where she went, or who she dated. It was classic, yet still held no less true hundreds of years later. 'To Thine own self be true.' The difference between reading those words in a book and hearing someone she respected echoing the same sentiment...it was exhilarating, to say the least, and a personal vindication. 

"That said," Dixon cleared his throat to break the tension, "let's eat. I'm starved." He rapidly passed out paper plates, then brought the griddle to bear, doling out brunch with his spatula like a true short order cook. Tino suspected that he had been one at some point, Dixon's talents were too much a plethora, his life too interesting for Tino to believe otherwise. 

Though his mouth had reminded him the previous morning, Tino once again marveled how nice it was to eat pancakes made out of plain, ordinary buttermilk, rather than some kind of soil byproduct his mother always preferred. Tino didn't feel there was anything wrong with being healthy, but he definitely felt that was one practice his dear mother took to extremes. Still, she only wanted what was best for her son. But having eaten some of her more...exotic recipes, Tino began to understand why his parents might have divorced. At least, one of the reasons, anyway. Tino had no doubts that his penchant for pizza and chili cheese fries had to have come from his father's side. 

"Tino, I want you to pack up after we're through eating." His mother instructed.

"Aw Mom, I was gonna ask Tish to go on a little hike."

"You two can go later if there's time."

"Okay."

"You were going to ask me on a hike?" Tish piped up.

"Yeah, I couldn't think of much else to do today. Did you have anything in mind? I don't have this thing etched in stone."

"Nothing comes to mind. As long as we get to make the most out of the end of our weekend. If it has to end. Hey, you think sometime we could bring the guys up here?"

"Y'know, that might be fun. What do you think, mom?"

"I think it's something we can save for your summer vacation. Don't worry, Tino. We'll come back." Miss Tonitini reassured her son.

"If you're going to bring your friends, I'll bring Moira. I recall that she and Carver got along pretty well." Dixon warmed up to the idea.

"Yeah, the speak the same language. Some kind of weird footwear kind of language that only they can possibly understand, but that's Carver for you." Tino grinned, devouring his breakfast like he hadn't eaten in ages. 

"Everyone has their hobbies." Dixon shrugged. "And let's face facts, most hobbies are boring to anyone who doesn't share the same hobby." Silence followed. "Okay, maybe that was a little harsh."

"He's right, though." Tino admitted. "I don't really have many hobbies. I read Captain Dreadnought, but you and Tasha are the only people I know who can relate to that."

"You think you have it tough?" Tish commented. "Name one other kid in our whole school who plays the dulcimer! And I'm not going to get into the other weird things I do."

"Everyone is a little crazy in their own way." Miss Tonitini reminded the group. "That's what makes the world an interesting place. If everybody liked the same thing, we'd all be zombies."

"Yeah, and John Tesh might be popular!" Tino laughed. "I don't think I own any CDs  that weren't released by Chum Bukkit."

"Tino, that's terrible!" Tish scolded him. "Chum Bukkit rules, but there's a much bigger world of music out there. Somebody's getting a Mozart CD for the holiday."

"Since when do my listening habits come into this?"

"Since you said you listen to Chum Bukkit exclusively! Music has an entire history spanning thousands of years. You can't just pick one band from the last few years and decide they're the pinnacle."

"I think he just did." Dixon chuckled. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with Chum Bukkit. They're no Steely Dan, but I don't mind listening to them."

"Of course there's nothing wrong with Chum Bukkit!" Tish cried. "I've been to a few of their concerts. They are so cool!"

"Doesn't anyone still know how to do the twist?" Tino's mother sounded exasperated. 

"Isn't that what people did for fun before they invented television?" Dixon chuckled. 

"You'd think you would be nicer to the woman who's riding shotgun on the way back."

"My parents said I always had excellent taste in women. Unfortunately, they also told me I had a tendency not to quit while I'm ahead."

"If there weren't children present, I'd teach you a thing or two!"

Dixon chuckled. "You know you love me!"

"That has nothing to do with it!"

"Um, you two look like you need a few minutes to sort this out." Tish set her empty plate down and backed away. "Tino, c'mon, I have something for you."

"For me?"

"You're not the only one with surprises." The two of them ran into the adjacent cabin, leaving the two adults in the middle of their love quarrel.

"Okay," Tino began as Tish closed the door behind them. "So, you've got something for me. I'm predicting a 9.2 on the coolness factor here."

"I think you'll love it. At least, you'd better if you know what's good for you!" She dug through her primary dresser drawer, tossing her few outfits onto the bed since she needed to get packing anyway. "Ah, here it is!" She said, shaking out one of her shirts until a small box fell out. Tino recognized the shape and size from his mother's assortment of jewelry back home. 

"Um, wait a minute. You're not going to propose to me, are you?"

"Huh? What? Oh, the case!" Tish blushed. "Tino, don't joke like that! No, I'm not asking you to marry me. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'd like to hold off on making decisions like that until I'm, you know, at least out of high school?"

"No offense taken!" Tino shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Just open the box!" Tish squealed. "Open it!"

"Your wish is my command!" Tino heeded Tish's instructions, indeed finding a ring inside, but not like anything he'd expected. "It is a ring!"

"Yeah, but it's not obligating you to anything. I got the idea because you seemed to be so enthused about that silly wreath I put together for you last year. I wanted to give you something that I put more effort into." Tish carefully hoisted it out of the box, holding it between to fingers. I made it out of a lot of different things. I got a small washer and decided to paint it in a design that kind of symbolizes me. It took me awhile because I had to find a paint that the metal wouldn't resist." She took the box and lifted out the inside, revealing a small string. "And this is some of my best dulcimer string. The idea was that you could wear it around your neck sometimes."

"I...I don't know what to say. No one's ever..."

"Given you something like this before? It doesn't matter. You don't even have to wear it all the time. Just promise to think of me when you do?"

"I think of you even without it. But this will help keep you a little closer. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She looped the dulcimer string through her ring, coming up behind Tino and triple-knotting it, closing the circle so it would stay around his neck. "Happy anniversary, Tino."

"Happy anniversary, Tish." He threw his arms around her, and she didn't hesitate to encourage him, slipping his shoulder under her chin, entangling their arms around one another.

"Are you okay?" Tish asked.

"More than you know." He whispered. "Tish, has anyone ever told you that you're the best?"

"Mostly teachers at school." She smiled to herself. "But I couldn't do any of it without friends behind me to show the way."

"You can always count on me. You know that, right?"

"I know. And I'll be here for you whenever you need me. Goodness Tino, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you so emotional!"

"Just give me a minute, I'll get past it." He smiled, even though she couldn't see his face in their current position.  "Man, this is one time I'm glad Carver and Lor aren't here. I think Lor might actually get to see me cry otherwise."

"Relax." Tish reassured him, bringing her head around to share a short kiss, trying to help her boyfriend regain his composure. It took a few moments of work on her part, but she managed to bring him out again, maneuvering him into a kiss she knew he couldn't ignore, something that demanded the attention of all his senses. "That's better." She said when she finally pulled away, keeping one arm around Tino's back and using the other to play with his hair. 

"How do you do that?"

"I told you, I've read a lot of classical music. Language may have evolved a bit, Tino, but there's nothing new under the sun when it comes to romance." She placed a final kiss on his cheek before extricating herself from his grip. "I should pack. We need to get going soon if we want to get back in time to catch up with the guys. You should start getting ready too."

"Um, right! Packing! Yeah, I'll just, you know, go back to my cabin and pack."

"Good. I'll see you soon!"

"Right! I'll just be right over there, you know, if you need me for anything?"

  
Tish giggled back at him. "Tino, if I play with you all day, we'll never get anything done. There will be time, don't worry."

"Right." Tino sighed. "You know where to find me."

"If I don't, I'll stop and ask directions. I'll catch up with you soon."

"Okay. Seeya soon Tish!" The boy slipped out the front door with those, words, leaving Tish alone with her packing, wondering if she hadn't given him too much of a good thing.

Okay, okay, I freely admit, it took me three weeks to get this chapter out, not two. Mandatory overtime at work every week hasn't helped. Also, I will confess to the crime of being a die hard Star Trek fan, and there are a host of novels coming out between now and the end of 2004 that I need to read (no, I don't read them all, I'd never write otherwise)! So sometimes I'm reading when I should be writing. We all have our vices, so try to forgive me. My current goal is still to get a chapter out every other week. Don't get worried if it takes a third week, go ahead and start sending threatening e-mails if it goes beyond that . :)

The current outlook for Second Stage is that there are only two chapters remaining. I consider this to be a good thing. There are still plenty of Stages to go, so many things I want to do with all the characters. It has always been my impression to make this the best darn fanfic for The Weekenders you can find on the internet. It still is. Since I started Awakening back in May, a lot more fics have appeared. "Weekenders In High School (WIH)," "The Feeling," and "A Long Weekend," just to name a few. There's probably others out there I haven't mentioned. No insult meant to those I left out. All of these are stories worthy of reading, though I'm not going to tell you to read one over the other. Everyone has different tastes.

That said, I'd like to take the time out to say thanks once again to everyone who reads this story consistently. I never ceased to be amazed that I continue to have an audience, especially considering that I'm not giving a lot of fans what they'd like to see, and let's be brutally honest here, a lot of you want to see Tino/Lor. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

So why, then, do I continue to pen a story that focuses on the very opposite, Tino/Tish? I've always believed in writing what I like. And though it never hurts to give the people what they want, I feel I'm right on this one. I'd like to go on record as saying that I have nothing against the Tino/Lor pairing. I think it's quite possible, and that, like any couple, they could do pretty well together if they're willing to put the effort into the relationship. More power to people who want to write about them. I chose to write my fanfic with the Tino/Tish because I believe in them, and I feel that they're both quirky and crazy enough to keep each other going in the long run. 

I'm making this speech since awhile back, someone took the time to write a review for "Awakening" that, in a melodramatic way, did nothing but attack the story because of my choice of pairing. Why this happens, I don't know. I've never hidden that this is a Tino/Tish story from my audience. Look in my synopses, you'll see it boldly stated there. If someone dislikes it to the point that they just can't read it without wanting to vomit, then I invite them not to read it. If you could care less about what pairing I write, or are even pro Tino/Tish, then you'll have a home here. If you prefer Tino/Lor, I welcome you anyway, so long as you aren't here to ruin it for everyone else. I like diversity among my audience. 

Anyway, I guess that's my message. We're all passionate about what we love, and I think that's wonderful. I encourage people to come in and see what I'm doing, and I'm looking forward to seeing what flows down the pipes from the other authors out there who love The Weekenders just as much as I do. Keep reading, everyone, and we'll all keep writing, I know I will.

Later Days!

Lord Malachite

9/26/03

12:16AM, EST

ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	14. Interruption

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Fourteen

"Interruption"

Sunday

Life is good. Pedratishkovna Katsufrakis arrived at this realization as she sat her suitcase by the door, pleased with herself for being completely packed and ready to depart with time to spare. Once again, her reputation was secure.

Satisfied with how her weekend had turned out, she sighed contentedly. Sure, things hadn't been flawless, bur overall, it had been a positive experience. Best of all, she had managed to keep her crazy in check, something she knew she would be taking the time to squeal over in the privacy of her own room back home. She felt a sense of loss at the thought of returning to Bahia Bay, but she would never be so foolish or naive as to think that the weekend would extend itself for her benefit. After all, if she had such a power over time, she would've used it long ago to prolong her favorite days, and possibly speed up some of the worser moments in her short history. There just aren't enough three-day weekends in the year. Of course, there is the glory of summer vacation, the centerpiece of the pre-adult year, although the holidays also comprised a stiff competition. Tish herself thought that perhaps they should all celebrate Christmas secularly this year around, since vacation from school revolved around it. She hadn't even talked to Tino about it yet, though, not to mention Carver. Still, the holidays were far enough off that she gave them little though heed now. 

A brief thought on how few summer vacations remained for them all lodged itself inside of her head and set up camp, determined to distract her. There was no denying that she was getting older, even her body was betraying her! Soon on top of all the physical and hormonal nightmares of puberty, she's find herself applying for jobs, college, scholarships--oh, was she ever prepared for that one! As for employment, she had made a decision to avoid the library at all costs. While she begrudgingly had a keen knack for organization, there was just so much more she wanted to do with her future, her life.

Her dreams of making it as an actress hovered above her. It was what she truly aspired to, making it in the theater. No desire to be a Hollywood star dwelt within her; she knew her goals lay on the stage, not the screen. She had had a brush with glamour once, and after all was said and done, she decided that the theater was without a doubt her calling. Not that the romantic lifestyle of Hollywood held no temptations, but she was not attractive enough to make it there, and the idea of partaking in the culture that glorified sex and violence went against all of her principles. There was so many things that she wanted to say to the world, things she knew she could only achieve more intimately, while on a stage, performing live. Things a set couldn't provide her with. She so desperately wanted to make people feel something inside, and there was no way to know if that was happening unless her audience was right in front of her, providing instant feedback. She wanted to see them laugh, cry, and generally be moved by the stories she would weave, the characters she would play. Like sharing a private moment with her entire audience. Part of this dream most likely stemmed from her own familiarity. She had always been rather close with her parents, and she couldn't deny that she and Tino were a tight pair, there was little that she felt uncomfortable sharing with her significant other. Even her friendships with Carver and Lor felt close to her, like they could all be open, though it certainly wasn't touchy-feely. With Lor involved, that would probably be downright scary. 

Hopping backwards onto the bed, Tish stared happily at the ceiling, drinking her own mental toast to her family and friends. Recognizing when you were truly blessed by the forces of the universe was never an unwelcome trait. The thought of her largely happy life was sobering, making her feel very much alive inside, yet a little melancholy because there would always be those in the world less fortunate than herself. Even poor, dear Tino came from a broken home, seeing precious little of his own father. He seemed okay in spite of that, which led Tish to having a lot of respect for Miss Tonitini. No one could ever accuse Tino's mother of being neglectful. But Tish couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like, having only one parent. Her home was too closely knit to allow even speculation for anything else. Perhaps this was why she considered herself to be the caretaker of the group. More than once she had decided to devote her weekend to a cause, usually trying to garner her friend's support. Tish definitely had a soft spot for noble causes, often to the chagrin of the others. She chalked it up to her value system, which admittedly had spiraled out of control once or twice. But so what if she was a little whacked? She always stood by her beliefs with passion. Otherwise, she couldn't be taken seriously.

Tish felt excited, perhaps a tad too much, considering she had no real idea why. Then again, she couldn't pretend she wasn't a little obsessive-compulsive inside. It was a quirk she had worked on in the past to no avail, and she was now resigned to being just a tad bit idiosyncratic. Perhaps more than a tad. But there was no choice other than to be herself. After all, it was a philosophy handed down by The Bard himself, and even recently reiterated by Tino's mother. Be true to yourself, a mantra she intended to follow throughout her life, even as she was still in the process of becoming herself. 

Lor felt more than a little silly as she followed Carver to his house, refusing to explain why he was taking her there. Her hair still felt matted from two nights of sleeping on the couch. On the plus side, it would probably feel incredibly satisfying when she got around to watching it. Currently it retained the matted feeling, but it also felt stringy when she ran her hand through it, a coating of oil obviously present. She envied Carver and his dreads for a moment, although she usually allowed her own hair to lie flat. She was too lazy most of the time to style it into anything that would require a lot of upkeep. Besides, her athletic lifestyle wouldn't be too kind to some kind of immaculate hairdo. No one in their group was very experimental with their hair, save perhaps that one time Tish had done her hair up in those grotesque pom-poms that only a mother could love, making the resident brain look like more than a geek, but downright deranged. Not for the first time, Lor wondered if Tish would ever grow out of her pastel phase. Pink and purple, purple and pink, purple and purple, pink and powder blue. She was tempted to go through Tish's wardrobe and replace all her outfits with a few Scottish tartans. That would show her! Tish needed a little Scottish warfare. It would be for her own good.

"Dude, are you going to tell me why we're going to your house, or what?" Lor grumbled.

"I told you before, I'll tell you when we get there. It's not something we should talk about out in the open like this."

"Um, this isn't something that will get us into any trouble, is it?"

"With my parents?! Man, even if I was a troublemaker, which I'm not, I'd never do something so stupid as to perpetrate the crime at my own house!"

"Okay, so it's nothing I need to be worried about?"

"Worried? Heck no! But I listened to what you said and decided there was something I should show you. Even though I'll probably live to regret it later."

"Then why show me?"

"I dunno. I think I've been hanging around Tino for too long. He's starting to rub off on me."

"Well, some of that might not be such a bad thing. Just warn me if you're going to start squealing or reading that lame comic book."

"Deal. Hey, thanks for the breakfast. You were right, it was good."

"And you doubted me. Y'know, I think I'm glad you're still wearing a little of it."

"Gee, thanks Lor."

"No prob. What are friends for?"

"Lending money."

"Yeah! That reminds me, can I borrow five bucks?"  
  


"Didn't you clean up enough already this weekend?!" Carver exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it never hurts to have some snack money. Especially when Tino's not around to pay for everything. I miss that. But I think I miss his little noises and paranoia more."

"Hey, T's alright in my book. He's got some issues, but he's the best friend I ever had."

"Gee, thanks Carv."

"Hey, turnabout is fair play, superlady!"

"Alright, I guess I had that one coming. But knock it off with the lady crap!"

"I get a lot of practice on Penny, you know. Most of our communication is through barbs and blackmail."

"Really? My brothers and I usually just punch each other."

"That's not something you see happen at my house. Actually, your house is pretty exciting Lor. I never know what's going to happen when I go there. It's kinda like an adventure."

"I'm still impressed you braved sleeping out in the open twice. That's where the real danger lies. You're easy prey, all out in the open. As you found out the other night."

"Tell me about it! I still have to get those stains out!"

"It could've been worse. They could've left a rugby ball on your chest and tackled you to death."

"Okay, maybe I'd better not set up camp at your house again for awhile."

"Aww, it doesn't hurt so bad. They've done it to me more than once. It's the not breathing part that hurts."

"Not breathing?"

"Yeah. Breathing kinda hurts after having fourteen of my brothers pile on you. And you really have to hope you haven't eaten in awhile."

"In that case, I'm glad we're out of the danger zone." Carver smirked as they turned onto his street. "That is, unless Penny is having one of her singing lessons."

"No! No way!" Lor tensed, protesting the very thought. "Carver, if you put me in range of that kind of horror, I will hurt you."

"Relax, I'm pretty sure she ain't even home today. So as long as we can slip past Todd, we're cool."

"Slip past him?"

"Yeah. Fair warning, he's really been into pulling hair lately. And your hair will probably look extra tuggable to him, because he hasn't seen it in awhile. He was going crazy for my dreads, but I think he's finally gotten tired of them."

"Ah, your little brother is kind of cute, but he's real mischievous. It's like you have to watch him every minute!"

"Tell me about it! And I'm always on duty during the week. I look forward to the weekend twice as much as anyone else I know."

Lor laughed. "That almost sounds like a challenge. I can't believe this one is almost over. School is the pits. Except for maybe gym class, and that one where they let you play computer games the whole period. We really need more subjects like that."

"Don't forget in English when they show us the movie version of whatever book we just finished reading."

"Oh yeah! Those always make up for whatever it is I didn't read. Usually a lot. And when they pass out the popcorn, I totally loved that back in grade school. I wish they still did cool stuff like that. Those days I miss."

The two of them continued to reminisce about the few finer points of school, reminding each other that it wasn't all bad. It was exceedingly difficult to believe that they were in the best years of their lives, considering that they couldn't even drive or see an R-rated movie. Thirteen felt like an age spent in limbo, too old to be considered kids any longer, yet too young to be accepted as adults. Most of the teenage years seemed fraught with this kind of struggle, but it was even more frustrating while the prizes of one's adolescence were still years away.

Lor trotted up Carver's driveway and jumped onto the front stoop. Her friend followed quickly behind, stepping past her to open the door and admit both of them. As usual, the DesCartes household seemed very clean and welcoming. The living room appeared very unlived, save for the usual path that Todd left behind him, akin to a tornado.

"This place is always so clean." Lor smiled. "How do your parents manage to do it? Don't they work a lot?"

"Yeah, but they try to make the upkeep of the house a high priority. Plus, the housekeeper manages to keep the place from getting to cluttered."

"Whoa! Dude, you have a housekeeper?"

"Yeah, you're looking at him. When I say I have a lot of chores, I'm not kidding."

"Guess not. And I thought cleaning my room was a hassle. I never really thought about what my parents must have to go through to keep our place from becoming a total pig sty."

"Yeah, and just think. Someday we'll both be on the other side, trying to keep our houses clean, running after our kids, going to work, trying to get dinner on the table..." Both Carver and Lor looked at each other, shuddered, and walked briskly into Carver's room. "Wow. Suddenly being only thirteen years old doesn't seem so bad."

"Just try not to scare me like that again, okay?" Lor preened. "Geez, it's like I'm just getting the hang of being a teenager! Don't go throwing all this scary adult stuff at me!"

"Don't worry about that. Anyway, we're here, so now I can show you what I wanted to."

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"The only real danger is to my reputation." Carver opened his closet door and pushed the button to reveal one of his best-kept secrets." This is my shrine to Coolness. And before you go laughing at me, I want to explain to you why I built it, why I keep it here, hidden in my closet." 

Lor raised her hand. "Um, besides the obvious reason." Carver added, watching Lor's hand reluctantly drop back down. "Anyway," he continued, "you, Tino, and Tish are my friends. And you know how badly I want to be one of the cool kids. It's one of my lifelong dreams. You guys have even done your part to help me from time to time. I guess I wanted to show you this because of your help, yeah, but it's more than that. You told me about how you weren't sure of where you were going. But once you pick a goal, you need to stay focused on it. That why I put my picture up there between Bree and Colby. Someday I am to be the coolest of the cool ones, and show them that there's more to being cool than wearing shades and leaning against things. Anyway, that's what I keep pushing myself towards. One of the things, anyway. It's how I keep myself centered on the dream." Carver sighed, letting the rest of his breath out. "Okay, you can laugh now."

Lor looked up once more at the bizarre homage to Coolness spread out before her. Two thoughts immediately came into her head. The first, inevitably, was how profoundly lame the thing was. She had to resist the urge not to cackle like a madwoman, instead trying to see past the presentation to what her friend was really trying to say. The second thought was far less coarse in nature. Carver knew how embarrassing this thing was, but he had decided to show her anyway. And the last she checked, she didn't have a reputation for being the kindest individual. That showed he had a lot of respect for her, not to mention faith. He truly considered her his friend. This was a lot more than she had ever given him credit for; she had always pegged Carver as the selfish type, even moreso than herself. And that train of thought processes led her to the core realization—Carver was right. If she ever wanted to work out something serious with Thompson...

"You know what? You're right. Carver, I do need to focus. I'm always pining over Thompson, but I never let him know how I feel. I always just try to make him notice me."

"Right. But you already know he thinks you're cool. Maybe he even likes you in a special way too. But you'll never know if you don't ask. Believe in yourself. Like I said, you're not really a person with a self-confidence issue, but you really do fall apart whenever it comes to Thompson. I think that all you really have to do is take a step back and see Thompson for who he really is. Yeah, he's a great guy, but it's not like he's holding the whole world up on his shoulders. If you build him up into something too much, you'll never get the courage to ask him out."

"Okay, all of a sudden you're way too much of an expert on this subject." Lor accused. "Where'd you get all the 411 on this?"

"Because it took me like the better part of a year to ask Cheri out."

"Yeah, but she said no."

"Of course she said no! That was inevitable! But the point is, I psyched myself up to ask her. Just because she's pretty and a lot of guys want to go out with her, I refuse to be intimidated. So I asked her and got rejected. But at least I don't have to be like all those other guys out there who will never ask her because they're too scared."

"Ouch. Twist the knife a little deeper why don't you. It's okay, I get your point. I'll ask Thompson out."

"When?"

"I don't know. The next time I see him?"

"All right then."

"There's just one thing that's bugging me." Lor pouted.

"What's that?"

"That shrine is so totally lame!"

"Yeah, I know. But what can I do?" Carver raised his arms in resignation.

"Well, for starters, I probably wouldn't ever show this thing to anyone else, except maybe Tino or Tish. They're probably the only people who might not laugh at that. Actually, no, they probably will, but I think they'd also see past the...you know what I mean. Now, if I don't laugh, I think I'm gonna explode!" Lor doubled over on her back in a fit of laughter, kicking her feet into the air. Her jolly demeanor acquired the attention of Carver's ever-curious little brother Todd, who ran into the room quite unannounced, shouting all the way. Carver frantically sealed his shrine back within the closet, while Todd got an eyeful of Lor's tempting hair, staring transfixed. Lor had a unique perspective, her head on the floor, looking at the tyke upside-down, eyes rolling up into the back of her head to meet his gaze. "Dude! He's staring at me!"

"See that?" grinned Carver. "I think he likes you. Maybe you have that effect on men. They wanna stare at you."

"Oh knock it off!" Lor insisted, blushing slightly. Todd still seemed entranced by Lor, running over to her and grabbing a wad of her hair with a sticky hand. "Ow!" Lor yelled, trying to wrench herself free. "That hurts!"

"Go den air!" Todd shrieked repeatedly, keeping a death grip on Lor's follicles."

"You little creep!" Lor found that she had to struggle to keep herself from hitting the lad, trying to remember that he was only a little guy. "Carver, do something!"

"I tried to warn you." Carver sighed, watching the two of them bemusedly.

"Something useful!" she cried out in pain as Todd pulled on her hair once more.

"Okay, okay! Todd, let go of Lor's hair." The boy looked up to his older brother, still holding tight, much to Lor's chagrin. "Todd, be nice. Nice boys get cookies."

"Cookies, COOKIES!!!!!" Todd began yelling, releasing his pray instantaneously. Her head banged into the floor with a loud thud, adding insult to injury and leaving her with a sizable headache. Carver quickly made his way to the kitchen with Todd in tow, grateful that his mother was on the phone and duly distracted as he ducked into the snack cupboard and grabbed a box of mini choco-chip cookies.

Lor came up behind him, seeing Todd with sugar and instantly growing afraid. Carver dropped a few cookies onto the floor, which Todd went for greedily. He then left the box lying several feet away. "Let's get out of here!" Carver called. "This is totally the last place we wanna be."

"Are you just gonna leave your poor Mom here to face that?" Lor wondered.

"This is clearly an us or her situation. I vote for us! Let's move!" Both teens managed to find their way out the door and halfway down the block without pursuit or consequence (other than feeling winded and needing a drink).

"Carv, that was way harsh. I feel sorry for her. She's your Mom."

"Trust me, it'll be cool. It's Mom. Sugar or not, if anyone can control Todd, it's Mom."

"You really are a piece of work." Lor smirked. "C'mon, let's go to the arcade. I think I can find a few video games to kick your but at."

"You're on!"

The walk continued onward, carrying the other half of a party of four until the main team came back. It was taking some getting used to, but all in all, Lor felt that this change may be turn out to be a positive thing for her after all. Especially when she had such good friends.

Okay, here we are, coming around the home stretch. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to squeak this one out for my fans, but somehow I made it. Kudos to me. I really rode this one right down to the wire. But it's good to be back in the saddle again, banging out an installment for you children of all ages to gobble up.

Currently, I plan to conclude this leg of the journey with the next installment and clear the way for Third Stage, which I think will prove to be far more interesting than these first two Stages have been.

The support I've gotten in more resent chapters has been a big help. I'm planning a special thank you to many people when I finish the next chapter, so I don't want to spoil it now. Suffice to say that I try hard not to forget those that have encouraged me along the way. It isn't always easy to focus on your fanfiction when the real world is always nipping at your heals. Nevertheless, I have found this hobby to be rather therapeutic, and I'm pleased with my progress so far.

One of the most rewarding things about writing this story is the climate which I'm writing in. I'm writing largely about a pairing that the majority of the fandom seems to disapprove of, so with each new chapter, it's like I have to prove myself once more. Every new release is a comeback for me. But I stand up for what I believe in proudly, and I'm not afraid to be different.  

Nevertheless, there are those that would seek to provoke some kind of fight with me. I have freely stated more than once that I have nothing against neither Tino/Lor stories nor the authors that write them, but apparently I'm still considered a source of evil by some. This delights me to no end, because it means I'm doing my job. What I always wanted from the get-go with this project was to make people feel something inside. It seems I've succeeded, though I am sorry that a lot of that emotion is negativity towards myself and my work. 

Even so, I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I have a long way to go with this story, so many events to occur, things to turn people's heads. I have big plans for all four characters, and I hope that you'll follow me down the path of their adolescence and evolution, as they continue to grow. 

And for those who want to make war with me...bring all the bows and arrows and swords that you wish. My pen is all I need to deflect even the mightiest and cleverest among you, and I intend to keep putting my English degree to use.

It grows late, my friends, and I have thrown off my sleep cycle enough in order to get this chapter released this weekend. Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you soon for the close of one stage, and the beginning of another....

Lord Malachite

9/19/03

1:50 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26 


	15. Homecoming

Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter 15

"Homecoming"

Sunday

Tino paid little attention to the scenery as the streets of Bahia Bay passed by, whisking him towards his home. The ride back home from the mountains had been decidedly quiet, as though each of the passengers were content simply to bask in the afterglow of their trip. Tino himself felt relaxed with his head tilted towards the window. His companion in the back, Tish, was sprawled out on her side of the seat. She was catching a catnap; her eyes closed and her head against the frame, with her feet planted in Tino's lap, sans shoes. Up front, Dixon was unusually quiet; apparently neither of the adults had anything more profound to say that the environment couldn't. Either that, or they were just trying to let Tish sleep. Tino was beginning to seriously understand the phrase 'lazy Sunday afternoon' when a sight that demanded his attention caught his eye. 

"Whoa! Dixon! Stop the car man!" Tino shouted as he spotted Lor and Carver walking down the sidewalk, having an animated conversation. "Our friends are out there! We should catch up with them before the weekend's totally over!"

Dixon brought the car to a stop and pulled over, looking at Miss Tonitini for approval. Tino's mother rolled her eyes, then gave her consent. Energized, Tino ran his fingers across the palms of Tish's feet, returning the girl to consciousness with a yelp. "Tino!" Tish chastised him as soon as she realized who was to blame.

"C'mon, I just saw the guys out there. We should hook up with them."

"Really?" Tish yawned. "Yeah, I guess I could go for some pizza."

"Thanks Mom, Dixon. I promise not to stay out too late."

"Be home by 8:30." Tino's mother smiled.

"I will."

"Um, thanks again for taking me with you this weekend." Tish offered. "I really had a great time, I'd like to do it again in the future."

"We'd be glad to have you." Miss Tonitini affirmed. "Don't be a stranger, all right? You're always welcome to drop by for spot of tea and a bagel with bream cheese."

"I'll remember that. And I'm also thankful to you, Dixon."

"Just doing my job. You know where to find me if you ever want to discuss fine literature. Or maybe just to talk."

"Thanks. Seeya later!" Tish called on her way out, running to catch up with Tino who was already being teased by Lor and Carver.

"And there she is now, the woman of the hour." Lor gestured as Tish trotted up, Tino shaking his head slowly.

Carver smiled heartily, pleased to be together as a group again. "Okay, you guys gotta tell us. What did you and Tino do this weekend?"

"Yeah, don't leave out any details." Lor insisted, making smacking noises with her lips.

"Please don't assume I'm like you." Tish sighed, while Lor continued to make kissing sounds. "We had a lot of fun. We took some hikes, ate ice cream, tried out Dixon's cooking, went swimming, it was nice."

"Sounds cool." Carver agreed. 

"And yes, we did do a little 'celebrating." Tish rolled her eyes, looking at Lor.

"I knew it!" Lor grinned.

Tino took over. "Anyway," he began, "When I saw you guys walking down the street, I thought we should hook up and spend the last of our weekend together. It's only 6 o'clock. Anyone up for a little pizza and pool?"

"Now there's a plan!" Carver seconded.

"I'm in." Tish agreed.

"Well, I guess that's settled." Lor concurred. "But if we're gonna get pizza, let's make it a big one. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." Carver chided.

"Much as I hate to burst the bubble, but won't it really depend on the theme of the restaurant this week?" Tish reminded them.

"I think it's still the cop theme." Claimed Carver.

"Oh man," Tino sighed, "what's it gonna be like in there? Is our pizza gonna arrive at our table in a squad car or something?"

"It didn't last time, but we can always lay that mystery to rest by going there."

"He's got a point" Lor shrugged. "Besides, you guys owe us some details!"

It was a raucous foursome of friends that entered the Bahia Bay Pizza Department, swapping stories of Lor's triumphs over Laird Princeton at the pool table and Tish's unscheduled dunk in the lake. Settling into a booth, the group filed a report that an extra large sausage and veggie had allegedly given them hunger pangs. The officer promised to bring the pie in for questioning, promising to run off the offending sausage from one quadrant with his nightstick before departing to resume his duty. He returned a moment later, asking them to pick some sodas out of a line up.

Satisfied that they wouldn't be visited again until the meal was ready, Carver at last gave voice to a question that had been hanging in the air since Friday afternoon. "Okay, so you guys mean to tell us that you and Tino have been cavorting around for an entire year and Lor and I didn't notice. I'm willing to swallow it if you guys can answer me one thing."

"What's that?" Tish asked, noting that even Lor's full attention was on Carver.

"How did it happen? You and Tino. You didn't just wake up one day and start going out, right?"

"Of course not!" Tino laughed hollowly. "It took awhile to happen, I mean, I..........you know, come to think of it, I really can't remember how I ended up falling for Tish. I don't remember it. It was like one day she was my friend, and the next I was holding her in my arms as a girl instead. How did that happen?"

"That's what I want to know!" Carver reiterated.

"Are you sure this is a story you want to hear?" Tish laughed nervously.

"Totally!" Lor agreed. "You can't just drop this bomb on us with no explanation. We're your friends."

"Okay." Tish buried her face in her hands for a moment before summoning up some strength from within. "This isn't the easiest story to tell, but I guess I should start at the beginning. I just hope that in the end, it all makes sense. Especially to you, Tino."

The others stared at Tish intently as she began relating the whole story. "This is something that started over a year and a half ago. Do you guys remember that time that I was looking for a crush? Because you all had one and I felt totally left out? Even Tino hear had the punk girl, Tasha."

"Ah, Tasha..." Tino sighed, "I wonder what you're up to now."

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you, Tino?" Tish asked with a sever frown, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Did I say that out loud?" Tino wondered, letting out a squeaky squeal when he saw the look on Tish's face.

"If I may continue...."

"Hey, don't look at us!" Carver distanced himself and Lor from Tino. 

"Anyway, after all the dust had cleared from that, I was reminded that I shouldn't push myself, and that it would happen for me when the timing became right. So there really wasn't much for me to do but, well, wait. But one thing had definitely changed. I was a lot more aware of guys, now. Like I was constantly on the lookout, I tried trying to be aware of my surroundings and the people around me. I paid more attention to boys in general, trying to figure out the things they do, the way they talk and act. I wanted to learn what I was drawn to, what I ideally like in a guy. Looking back, I think I used both of you as a template, since you two are the boys I know best and spend time with. I knew I really liked both of you as friends."

"Wait...so you mean that if things had been different, it could've been you and me?" Carver queried.

"Theoretically," Tish admitted, "but I don't think it would've worked out. You're crazy, Carver, but not my kind of crazy. We'd probably end up driving each other, well, crazy."

"Can I get a road map to that sentence?" injected Tino.

Tish groaned and pressed onward. "The point is that you two were a lot of help, even though you didn't know. I made a list of the things I really liked about both of you, and then I started applying it to different guys I'd encounter at school or wherever."

Lor decided to interrupt at this point. "Okay, that I can understand. But how did you end up with Tino?"

"I'm getting there. Anyway, there I was, minding my own business, looking for the ideal guy, when it started happening. I just...one day in Study Hall I was going over my list, and I started thinking about Tino, and how he seemed like such a great guy. Now don't get me wrong, it 's not like I didn't see his faults too. We all have them. I, for instance, am a perfectionist."

"Duh." Lor muttered under her breath, giggling. Tish narrowed her eyes at her friend before continuing.

"But things about him just began to seem so cute. The little squeals he makes, his sensitivity, the way he angsts over things...he's such a lost puppy." She giggled, resisting the urge to cuddle her significant other. She was not that far gone. "But it scared me. Tino is my friend, and I didn't want to ruin that, or worse, unbalance our group. So I didn't do anything. I went back to looking for someone else, but it was half-hearted. Inside, I knew I wanted to be with Tino. But I didn't know what to do. Plus, he had the crush on Tasha. I didn't think that I'd ever find a way to get him to see me as a girl and not just his friend. But there was only so much I was willing to risk. And so, I just let things fill me. I busied myself so I wouldn't have too much time to fixate on it. I worked hard during the week and hung out with you guys all weekend, hoping that a solution would eventually prevent itself."

"So, how did it happen?" Lor pressed. "Obviously you got what you wanted."

"It was a slow process. Basically I just tried to subtly show off that I'm a girl too. I wanted Tino to see me like that. Better yet, I realized that the best bet would be for him to take an interest in me, make it seem like it was all his idea in the first place. To that end, I did what I could to encourage him. But the night it finally...I was so nervous, I felt so naive and silly, yet also excited. It was...I don't know how to describe it. You really need to have a common frame of reference. Tino really makes me happy. The time we've spent together has been rewarding, albeit frustrating at times. But there's still so much more for us to do, so much to explore. Every day that we've spent together means something to me. I consider Tino to be my best friend. I've known him for so long now, but I feel like the time that we've spent as a couple...Tino has always understood me. I know he thinks I'm crazy sometimes, I don't pretend not to be, but he doesn't try to stop me. And it's one thing when your friends can do that, but when someone goes that extra mile, agrees to care about you in a special way, despite your faults, and I have a lot of them..." Tish looked at each of them and noticed that no one seemed to quick to agree with her this time. "It makes me feel truly happy. And that I feeling I can't help but give back to him. I'm glad that Tino and I are together." She quivered a little, taking a deep breath. "I want each of you to know that I consider you all to be close friends. My advanced relationship with Tino will never change that. And we'll never just ditch you guys to be alone together. So I hope we'll all be able to continue being friends as we always have." Tish drank deeply from her soda, letting the clacking ice inside of her cup serve as punctuation for her address. "End of speech."

Everyone at the table was slowly looking at each other. Tish felt especially nervous, a feeling which increased exponentially as minutes ticked on and no one spoke a word. It was the cop who finally broke the silence, arriving with a likely suspect and asking Lor to identify it. Lor blinked, nodded once, and the pizza was then reprimanded to their custody. The steaming food seemed to ease the tension and increase the appetites, and Tino found his voice after biting into a slice. "So..."

"Well," Carver began, "It seems to me that you two have really thought this thing out. So as long as you still wanna hang with us, I think it's cool. Lor?" Tino felt sweat beading on his forehead as all eyes focused on Lor.

"What's everyone staring at me like that for?" Lor asked. "Hey, as long as they're not gonna be making out everywhere we go, it's cool by me."

"You guys are the greatest!" Tino smiled. "We'd be lost without you."  
  


"Yeah, that's what makes us so special." Lor grinned.

Carver cleared his throat and clanked a spoon against his cup, drawing everyone's attention. "A toast, to Tino Tonitini and Tish Katsufrakis. May they be happy in their love, healthy in life, and may Tino and I forever beat these girls at pool."

"Not gonna happen." Lor laughed as they each drained their glasses.

"Yeah, but I had to try." Smiled Carver.

"Thanks guys," Tish sniffed, "this really meant a lot to me. We owe you big. And I'm glad you've taken this all so well."

"Yeah, I was kinda worried you were gonna be all weirded out about this." Tino sighed. "It's nice to know I can count on my friends."

"Well, that's what friends are for." Lor reassured him.

"Besides, you keep talking like this is some kind of bad thing. Shouldn't this be something to celebrate?" Asked Carver. "C'mon, this is your anniversary!" He waved the officer back over, who was now brandishing a nightstick. "Can we get a double order of cinnamon breadsticks over here?!"

The policeman took his hat off and raised his mirrored sunglasses over his eyes. "All right, but then you kids had better move along. No loitering."

"Not exactly conducive to running a business..." Tish muttered.

"Hey, c'mon, we're celebrating an anniversary here!" argued Carver.

The proprietor dropped his character persona almost instantly. "Well, why didn't you say so? For some of my best customers, a special occasion deserves something grand! You do know that we can make arrangements if you let us know in advance. You want me to whip up something special for you?"

"You don't have to go to any trouble." Tish flushed.

"Nonsense! I'll be right back."

Tish continued to blush as their server scampered off, muttering something about having just the thing. "You really don't have to make so much of it, guys. I don't want you to go overboard."

"Who's going overboard?" Carver countered. "Relax, I promise not to do more than this."

"Okay. And Carver?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"So, we'll still have time for pool, right?" Lor demanded to know.

"Yeah, I am totally itching for a game." Tino perked up. 

"That eager to lose, huh?"

Tino looked at Tish, putting on his best puppy dog face. "Go easy on us?"

"Sorry." Tish smirked. "I'm afraid that isn't a perk of our relationship." She patted his head in condolence.

"Aww man." Tino whined.

Lor shook her head in amusement. "You can't win them all, Tino."

"Yeah, but I would like to win once!"

The manager found his way back to their table, confident that his assistant could manage in the kitchen. "So, what anniversary are we celebrating?"

"It's been like a year since the first time they made out." Lor gestured at the happy couple.

"Ah, of course! I should have suspected. These two have had a regular table in the back on Thursday nights for some time."

Lor cocked an eyebrow, looking at Tish. "I thought you said you had dulcimer lessons on Thursday nights."

"Yeah, and I thought you have to go grocery shopping with your mom." Carver fixed his gaze on Tino.

"I'm sorry." Tish admitted. "We were a little dishonest because we were trying to keep this thing a secret."

"Hey! I really do help my mom with groceries!" Tino tried to defend himself. "I just have her drop me off her when we're done."

"Yeah, and I come by after my lesson." Tish chimed in. "Consider it an omission."

"Wait, so they have a table near the back?" Lor pushed for more info. "What do they do back there?"

"Usually they get a double order of spaghetti and some bread." The owner shrugged. "And they talk quite a bit. Nothing terribly interesting, but then I don't make a habit of spying on my customers. Besides, they're good tippers." The assistant came up behind his employer, carrying one round tray in each hand. "Ah, it would seem we're ready." He picked up the pan that held the remainder of their pie and placed it on an empty table, leaving room for the two new arrivals, which were promptly placed in front of the teens. "Here are the breadsticks you ordered, but I thought you might also appreciate this apple cinnamon pie. I usually keep stuff like this around for birthday parties, but please, enjoy. This meal's on me. I'm sure I'll see you kids again soon. And now if you'll excuse me..." He replaced his glasses and put his prop hat back on. "...An officer's work is never done. Happy anniversary."

As their host made his way to the next table, Lor was already digging into the dessert. "Hey, this apple pizza thing is pretty good." She said after biting half a slice and picking up a second in her free hand. The others all shrugged and each grabbed a piece for themselves.

"I think that about says it all." Carver smiled. "Happy anniversary."

"Um, thanks." Tino fidgeted nervously, feeling self-conscious."

"Hold on!" Lor announced. "There's still one more thing!"

"Oh?" All three of them stared at her.

"Well, yeah!" Lor sounded like she couldn't believe how naive her friends were being. "It's an anniversary thing! Aren't you gonna kiss?"

"What, here?" Tish asked, subconsciously scooting a little farther away from Tino. 

"Yeah! It's a party in honor of your coupleness! It'd be rude not too."

Tino slowly shrunk into his chair. "I'd rather not..."

"Oh c'mon, Tino, show Tish how much she means to you!"

"You really don't have to..." Tish waved her hands in front of her.

"Dude! It should be like mandatory or something."

"It would be kinda cute." Carver seconded.

"Oh, fine, if it'll make you guys be quiet." Tish resigned herself to her fate. She gave Tino a reassuring nod and moved in close to him. Tino looked like he was about to be kissed by an ox. 

"I can't do this in front of my friends! It's embarrassing!" Tino pleaded. Lor began laughing hysterically. "Alright, fine! I'll do it. Okay, here we go." He leaned in and kissed Tish with all the passion of kissing his mother, which was almost none. "Happy? Show's over!" He said as he pulled away, both of them blushing. 

"That's more like it." Lor grinned.

"I have to admit, it was a little weird." Said Carver.

Tino sighed. "Great. We've now completed the I'm-so-embarrassed-I-could-die portion of the evening. Now if we can just move on to the playing-pool portion, my night will be complete.

"Just as soon as we finish up these free desserts!" Lor exclaimed, helping herself to a cinnamon breadstick and dipping it in the glaze.

Carver turned towards the booth behind him. "Hey, Carver here. So, what do you think? Seeing Tino and Tish officially 'together' is kind of a weird sensation, but I think I like it. It just goes to show you that there must be some kind of mysterious power that draws geeks together. They seem real happy, though, so I just wish 'em all the best. I think she's helped to make T a bit more confident. I wonder how he'll hold up when we get to high school next year."

"Anyway, what do you guys think about Lor? I'm worried about how she goes around pining over Thompson but never seems to take that all important first step. It drives me crazy because I know they could be good together. I hope I was able to help Lor out with her problem. I still say she's way more weirded out about Tino and Tish than she's letting on. Something is going on there, that's for sure. But I'm not gonna be the one to dive into her brain, no way! Still, I should probably keep an eye on her..."

"As for me, well, I've still got my heart set on that shoe model. But only time will tell if that's gonna work out. If not, well, I'll find somebody who can appreciate me. Moira and I get along pretty well; maybe I should ask T for her number. What do you think? Yeah, that could be sweet..."

"Anyway, life seems to be going pretty good all around. Can't ask for much else. T once told me all we need in life are the four F's: Friends, Fun, Fresh Air, and Fast Food. I'm gonna keep workin' at getting a lot of quality time in with all four. Anyway, I'd better get back to the guys. I'd ask you to stick around, but it'll just be all the more humiliating when the girls beat us at pool. We'll be seeing you. Later days!"

And now, at last, we have come to the fabled end of Second Stage. It's been a very long ride; it certainly took a lot longer than the first installment of this story. If any of you feel sad, let this alleviate your concerns—the story is far from over! There will be a total of six Stages in all! You've only reached the end of the second, there's a long way to go and a lot of ground to cover. Hopefully I can keep you all in suspense as the Stages go on and more and more events start coming up in all four of the characters' lives. 

Working with all of these people has been a real pleasure, and I look forward to revisiting the lives of Tino, Tish, Lor, and Carver soon in the next leg of the journey. I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long. A part of me would like to sit here and write a dissertation on what it has been like to write this story, but I'll save it for another time. What I want to do now is take some time to thank everyone who has helped to make Awakening possible. I will try to list you all, but inevitably I will leave some people off, because it's 3:12AM and I need to get up in a few hours. If I did forget you, please let me know and I'll rectify the situation with my next update. Without further ado....

Special Thanks To:

KaonForever, for tireless pre-reading and cheerleading

Soulcleaver, for always challenging me

ShinjiLangley, for being a true believer

BlasterBob, for the early encouragement

BroadwayStar77, for always having something positive to say

Attic Man, for fostering good relations 

Jesscheaux Kuwabara, for putting up with me

Ellis McGuinn, for her ever-watchful eye

Marco9, for daring to dream

Kalyana, for the flattery, which will get you everywhere

S.M., for never missing a review

VirtualFaerie, for saying why

Mick, for rocking on

Stormqueen873, I'm still going strong (I think)

Aaweth, for writing a review that made me beam

Random 1337, for all the encouragement

Ryoma, he's still out there somewhere, and I haven't forgotten his craving for more RPF

Karina Kineshi, gone from my sight, yet still the star that brings light to my darkness

God, through whom all things are possible

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but I'm going to cross my fingers and go with this. Thank you all for coming back for more every few weeks. I can promise you all this—I'm not going anywhere! I'm here to stay, and determined to make this the best darned Weekenders fanfic you can find. The continued support of people like yourself, who read this, makes it possible. I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Lastly, because I adore you, my fans, I have drawn up a trailer for Awakening: Third Stage. However, I need to tweak it more, so it's not quite ready yet. Check back sometime around Nov 3 or 4, it should be ready by then. I'll put it up as Chapter 16 of Second Stage. 

And now, I must depart, because I need to be up in five hours. Later days indeed, my friends. See you Next Stage!!!!!

Lord Malachite

11/2/03

3:35AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26


	16. Third Stage Trailer

The following preview has been approved for all fans.........

Tino: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Man, whoever said that was so full of crap! Oh, hey. My name is Tino Tonitini. But…you probably already knew that. What I'll be you didn't know is, well, why don't you see for yourself…

A Swead Entertainment Release

Carver: Man, how long have we been coming here for pizza now? They really need to get like a frequent snacker's club going here!

Lor: You're just saying that cuz we're sticking you with the bill.

Carver: Yeah....

Written By Lord Malachite

Tish: And that's how you really feel?

Tino: Yeah, sorry if it's a little weird...

Edited by John "Kaon" Kerr

Tish: Tino, I think we have a problem here.....

Lor: Dude, she broke up with you?

Tino: I don't wanna talk about it.

Carver: Just like that?

Tino: I said I don't want to talk about it.

Carver: Are you okay?

Tino: JUST LET IT GO!!!!!!

Lor: Thompson's moving away, and even now I can't find a way to tell him how I feel. It hurts inside.

Tino: Sometimes telling someone how you feel can open up a whole new world of hurt.

Clerk: You need a job, kid?

Carver: You'd hire me, just like that?

Clerk: You kidding? You're like a dream. You come down after school next week, I'll get you a promise of employment paper.

**_LOVE IS PATIENT..._**

Tish: I didn't dump Tino to hurt him! I'd never do that! And I didn't do it because I want to be with someone else! I did it because it's the best thing for him!

Carver: Why don't you let Tino be the judge of what's best for him?

Tish: It's not that simple....

**_LOVE IS KIND..._**

Tasha: Tino? It's been ages! You still keepin' it real?

Tino: I try...

Tasha: Not hard enough. Why don't you come hang with me this Friday night. I'll try to help you get past your funk. 

Tino: I dunno.....

Tasha: It could be fun........

**_LOVE DOES NOT ENVY....._**

Tish: Don't you think he's spending a little too much time with her?

Carver: Hey, you're the one who dumped him.

Lor: Yeah, that means you get no say in my book.

Tish: What do you know about it?

Lor: You think it would be wrong of me to ask Tino out for pizza?

Carver: What, just you and him?

Lor:......Yeah.....

Carver: Wrong? No...but I wouldn't want to be you when Tish finds out, and believe me, she will....

**_LOVE DOES NOT BOAST..._**

Tish: This hurt enough without you getting involved.

Lor: Life is full of surprises.

Tish: Walk away, Lor. 

Lor: I think it's too late for that.

Carver: You know neither of them will let this thing go without a fight.

Tino: I'm not going to make this kind of decision. You want peace, go be the diplomat! I'm not having any part of it!

**_LOVE IS NOT PROUD..._**

Tish: Tino, I was so wrong. I understand what you meant now, and I'll accept it if you'll come back to me. Don't let me naiveté ruin this.

Tino: I can't just come running back to you Tish, as nice as that sounds. I have responsibilities to both Tasha and Lor now. But I'll take what you said into consideration. 

Lor: And you really think I just plan to give Tino back to you after you hurt him so bad? How stupid do you think I am?

Tish: I confess that I made a mistake and caused Tino a lot of heartache. I wish I could take that back. Nevertheless, it's not your decision or mine. It's Tino's.

Lor: I don't care! He's the one guy I've ever been able to count on in my life, and I won't let this happen to him all over again!

Tish: Oh no, This is not going to happen. I've been patient with you up until now, but this is where I draw the line. I know you too well, better than you know yourself. I know what you are. And it is I who won't let you have him, if you must demean Tino so by making him a possession.

Miss Tonitini: Honey, sometimes there's just no way to save face. You just have to bite the bullet.

Tino: What do you mean?

Dixon: I think what she's saying is......you need to pick a girlfriend.

Tino: But how can I make this kind of decision knowing it's going to hurt people I care about?

Miss Tonitini: Welcome to life.

**_LOVE IS NOT RUDE..._**

Lor: You can't have him! Your whole life, you've always had it better than me! 

Tish: I never took anything from you.

Lor: Yes you did! And I'm taking it back!

Tish: Lor? This isn't just about Tino anymore, is it?

Lor: So what if it isn't?!

Tish: It's funny. Not that long ago, you were preaching to me about jealousy...

**_LOVE ALWAYS TRUSTS..._**

Tino: I used to think everything was so simple. It's what we always tried for.

Tish: It's never that simple. I think we were only fooling ourselves.

Tino: So where do we go from here?

Tish: I don't know Tino. That's really up to you. You're the one that has to choose between us. Lor and I have the hard job. We have to abide by your decision, and worse yet...wait for it.

LOVE ALWAYS HOPES... 

****

****

****

Tish: I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know that I'll never give up in my heart, regardless of the outcome.

Lor: What does it matter to you? Win or lose, you know you have people back home who still love you! All I have right now is him, and I can't lose him like this, I won't!

**_LOVE NEVER FAILS..._**

Tino: How can I decide without crushing one of them?

Carver: I don't know man, I sure wouldn't wanna be you! The repercussions, man, it'll be crazy! And no matter who you pick, you're gonna feel all lousy about it, like you all let them down and failed them. Man, I am so glad I'm not you.

Tino: Yeah. Thanks Carv.

Awakening: Third Stage 

Tish: It's never as simple as you think.

Tino: Mom, if everything is supposed to be so simple then why couldn't Tish and I make it?

Miss Tonitini: I don't have all the answers, Tino. You can ask me all the questions you want. But I think we both know that your best bet is to look in the mirror if you want the answers.

Tino: I'm never sure if I like everything I see when I do that.

Miss Tonitini: Then it's up to you to change it.

Opens Thanksgiving 2003 

Tish: I finally realized that fear was not an option. I'm through running.


	17. Third Stage Trailer B

Lor: Why can't all this relationship stuff make sense?

**A Swead Entertainment Release**

Tish: What do you see?

Tino: The stars in your eyes.

Tish: You put them there. . .

Carver: Does T seem any different to you lately?

Tish: Not that I've noticed, but now that I think about it. . .maybe I'll have a talk with him.

**A Lord Malachite Fanfic**

Lor: Am I doing something stupid?

Thompson: You're not stupid, Lor.

Tish: Why are all guys so hung up on appearances?

Carver: So girls have something to nag us about?

**Edited By John "Kaon" Kerr**

Tino: What am I supposed to do?

Tish: Go home, Tino.

Tino: Now I know what true emptiness is.  
  
Lor: I know exactly what you mean. Let's just try to let her loss be our gain.

Tish: I can't let Tino limit himself to me, he's only fifteen years old. It's too soon.

Carver: Okay, granted. But you two have been together for going on three years now. I've seen marriages break apart in less time than that! 

Tish: Are you going somewhere with this?

Carver: All I'm suggesting is that you two have been together a long time, and it's been great. I don't see why you'd want to take the chance of messing that up. 

**THIS YEAR. . .**

Tino: Maybe it's too soon. . .

Lor: We have to start somewhere!

Carver: I'll be here the day after my sixteenth birthday!

Shopkeep: You won't regret this, Carver. Believe me!

**. . .NEVER STOP BELIEVING. . .**

Tino: It's not that simple, Tish.

Tish: Every time I try to put Tino and I back together again, I only make things worse.

Lor: Every girl needs a prince, Tino. Even those of us who are too stubborn to admit it.

**. . .GIVE INTO THE FEELING. . .**

Lor: I wasn't sure I could ever handle not having Thompson around. Thanks for sticking with me.

Tino: What are friends for?

Lor: Yeah. . .friends. . .

Tish: Now I understand what Tino was trying to tell me.

Carver: How do you feel?

Tish: Like I'm alone in the dark. I'm finished, don't you see it? If he did love me before, it's gone now. When he looked at me, his eyes were…he looked so adrift and frightened, like he didn't know what to do. But he's scared of me.  
  
  


Lor: I've never felt like this before. . .Tino, I don't want it to end. I made a mistake before, with Thompson. I never told him how I felt and I ended up losing him. I won't do it again, I can't!

**. . .FOLLOW YOUR HEART. . .**

Carver: There's gotta be a better way than this.

Tino: Let me know if you see it.

Lor: I'm not going to let go, Tish. Not for you, not for anyone.

Tish: I don't want to fight like this, but you're determined not to give me a choice.

Lor: You already made your choice back in November.

Tish: Don't you dare! I've seen what you do! If you want to be with Tino, be with him. If you want to be with Thompson, wait for him. But don't you dare kiss the one and pine for the other! You're disgusting!

Tish: Tino Tonitini would be better off today if he'd never met Tish Katsufrakis.

Carver: It's not too late to get it back!

Tish: It's time I let go, Carver. 

Carver: How can you say something like that?

Tish: I can live with it. What tears me up inside every minute is that I did this to myself.

** . . .AND KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE.**

Carver: Maybe this is the end of our friendship.

Tish: Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.

Lor: Will you be here when I get back?

Tino: I don't know. I don't know anything, anymore.

Miss Katsufrakis: My little girl, she is groin cup.

Tish: It's worse than that mama. I know it now. I'm in love. 

**SWEAD ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS:**

Miss Tonitini: Have you come to a decision?

Tino: I'm trying, I'm trying!

**TINO TONITINI**

Tino: What kind of person am I, when all is said and done?

Carver: . . .A friend.

**TISH KATSUFRAKIS**

Tish: Please don't tell me I'm too late!

Tino: I've got somewhere to be, Tish.

Tish: Don't make me say this too fast!

**LOR MACQUARRIE**

Lor: This is what I've been looking for, for so long. I'm not going to give that up because you're having second or third thoughts.

Tish: Even if you're having them yourself?

Lor: At least I'm not afraid to say how I feel!

**CARVER DESCARTES**

Carver: Both of them need to get over themselves, a process that would move much more quickly if it weren't for you!

Tino: Me?

Carver: You never did make a decision. . . .

**AWAKENING: THIRD STAGE**

Tish: It's never that simple.

Lor: It's not as hard as you make it out to be.

Tino: Y'know what? Love is a really curious word.

**NOW PLAYING**

Tish: You put them there! Only you! 


End file.
